


Facing Demons

by RainLily13



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale, Naruto
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Family, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Best Friends, Childhood Friends, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, F/M, Family Feels, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Humor, Team as Family, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-02-28
Updated: 2013-03-01
Packaged: 2017-12-03 23:05:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 30,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/703667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainLily13/pseuds/RainLily13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>500 years ago, an unusual miko appeared in the Feudal Era with even stranger, unique abilities. Now, a young genin, fresh out of the academy and hailing from the Hidden Leaf Village, is sent on a long-term assignment. When she returns to her home intent on picking up where she left off, it isn't long before the past comes to to haunt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**_Twelve Years Ago_ **

_Like any other night in the sleepy village of the leaves, it was calm; a slight breeze was in the air as the village's inhabitants, from couples on a date, to friends on an outing, to families on a night out, enjoyed the usual, relaxed, evening ambiance._

_It was peaceful._

_Except - it wasn't like any other night._

_And everyone – every civilian, every shinobi – knew it as a terror-inducing roar sliced the nighttime silence, shattering the peaceful scenery._

_If one looked to the east, towards the moon, they'd see the outline of a massive beast, a monster, with its nine lengthy tails swaying languidly with the wind._

_An alarm shrilled throughout the village, calling all available and able shinobi._

_Kyuubi, the nine-tailed demon fox, was attacking Konahagakure and they needed everyone on hand if there was any chance for anyone to make it through this alive._

* * *

 

_Shiro Higurashi was an elite shinobi of Konoha and member of a prestigious clan that was up in the ranks comparable to the Uchiha and Hyuuga Clans._

_The Higurashi Clan was notorious for their kekkei genkai, the Seishigan, as well as for their affinity with elemental jutsu._

_Now, in his late twenties, Shiro was a jounin, ex-ANBU, the Head of the Higurashi of two years, and most importantly, an expecting father._

_When Shiro went to sleep that one, seemingly complacent October night, he did so relaxed and settled with his pregnant wife of seven and a half months, Kira, curled up against him._

_However, he woke up tense and alert at the sharp, terrified gasp elicited from his wife._

_"Kira?" he mumbled groggily, eyes blinking open. Shiro sat up quickly at the sight of her curled inwardly, arms tightly wrapped around her waist in pain. "Kira – what's wrong?" he pressed, worried._

_"I-" Kira moaned. "The baby, Shiro. Something's wrong – something's happening…"_

_"W-what?" Shiro stammered, hands bracing his wife. He cradled Kira's face, swiping hair from her sweat-stained face._

_"Not the baby – I can't – can't explain, but - something else. Something-" she groaned lowly, agony racking her body, "Something's **here**."_

_"What's here?" Shiro asked urgently, utterly befuddled. "Kira-"_

_He didn't need to finish._

_The following, earth-rocking roar answered him efficiently enough. It was only moments later that the village alarm shrilled in the air._

_"Shit," Shiro vaulted off the bed, getting dressed. As he pulled on his usual uniform, he glanced at his wife, who, thankfully, was only breathing heavily by then. "Kira, love – will you be alright?"_

_Kira nodded, swallowing thickly. "I think so," she whispered, breathless. "I – I think it was just a warning." Her hand curled into a fist against her engorged belly. "I – I don't understand, though. I don't know what's happening."_

_Shiro looked up from strapping on his kunai pouch, and he licked his lips, nervous. "We'll… we'll figure something out. We'll look into it, don't worry. You've come from a shrine, maybe…" he trailed off suggestively, alluding to complications due to their mix of bloodlines._

_Kira rubbed at her, eyes. "I barely have any abilities. There's never been any record of any power that substantial for generations, but… yes, maybe," she murmured distracted, before looking up when she felt a faint tremor shake the manor._

_She froze._

_"Shiro!" Kira gasped, pushing up from the bed, eyes set on the window. Unconsciously, her hand wrapped around her belly protectively._

_Shiro's head snapped up, hands in the air in mid-zip of his vest, and he sped over to check it out. "By the Kami…" he breathed out. "Demon…"_

_Kira whimpered as the tremors became more violent. "Shiro…" she said fearfully, her nerves tingling from the sheer ferocity of the demon's you-ki as it washed over her, overwhelming her. Faint screams, yells, and the explosions of ninjutsus echoed outside, becoming louder by the second._

_Kyuubi was making its way further into the village._

_The worst part was that the Higurashi district was next on its path of destruction._

_Shiro looked between the two – between Kira, his pregnant wife, and Kyuubi, the approaching beast threatening to destroy their home. "I'm taking you to the hospital. Try to figure out what the hell's happening with the babe while I help," he said soothingly as he went to scoop her up. "Everything will be fine."_

_Kira didn't comment on the lack of confidence in his assurance. "It's close – will we make it?"_

_Grimly, Shiro remained silent. Her question was double-edged: would they make it to the hospital, or would both of them make it out of this alive?_

_He didn't quite know – not until he stepped outside to look, and even the latter question was touch and go. "There are many fighting the demon – it won't take long to run you to the hospital and come back," he said quietly._

_He didn't like it, leaving his comrades alone to fight the demon, but there was no chance that he was going to leave his pregnant, non-shinobi wife in the house in the direct path of the Kyuubi when she was having trouble with the baby._

_He strode to the window, pushing it open, and climbed through._

_However, the moment he stepped out onto the roof, his wife bucked in his arms and pink glittered across her body._

_"Kira!" Shiro exclaimed, eyes wide. "Wha-!"_

_His inquiry was cut short light burst from his wife's body, expanding out in a wall of shimmering light and leaving the woman panting for breath._

_Stunned, Shiro stepped forward in a daze. The pink light transformed into a dome-like structure, encasing the manor and a twenty feet radius around it._

_"What…?" he breathed out, taking in the immense structure._

_Despite the chaos around them, members of the Higurashi clan stopped to stare. "Shiro-sama! What is this?" someone yelled. "I can't get through."_

_"I – I don't know," he called back out, smoothly leaping off the roof before approaching the wall. He reached out to touch the glittering wall of light that barred his way out, watched in amazement as his palm pressed flatly against it._

**_"The Kyuubi – it's coming closer! Prepare the defenses!"_ **

_It took only a second for the implication of that to weigh in, and his hand pressed against it harder. His face paled as his hand slammed against the infallible wall. "It won't let me out either!"_

_"It's a barrier, Shiro…" Kira breathed out in amazement. "It's a barrier of purification ki."_

_Shiro looked down at his wife, taking in her drawn appearance and the slight sheen of sweat upon her skin. "Purification ki? But you said you-"_

_"I never said I erected it, love," she interjected with an awed murmur, and a hand reached to grasp her belly. "But the babe… I think it channeled its energy, using my body to erect the barrier." She looked up at her husband with tearing eyes. "It sensed the danger – the demon. It's trying to protect us."_

_Shiro frowned, arms tightening around his wife. "Us, yes, but not the rest of the village…" he murmured under his breath._

_Licking his lips, he looked over to one of the men waiting outside the barrier, his second in command and a close comrade of his. "Kenta!"_

_"Yes, sir!" he shouted, Shunshining to appear before Shiro to await his command._

_Shino let out a sharp breath as he drilled out his orders. "Lead the defense. Find someone, preferably Sora-san, to evacuate the district of the children and elderly. Every available man and woman should remain here, to fight the Kyuubi."_

_Kenta blinked in a mixture of shock and concern, eyes flickering to the wall separating them. "Sir?"_

_Shiro clenched his jaw. "It seems as it won't let you in, it won't let me out either." His eyes tightened around his wife, in a mixture of concern, guilt, and underlying fear. "I'm stuck here – I can't do anything unless I figure out a way to break it down."_

_Kenta gave the man a steely look. "Sir, if you're stuck here, and the Kyuubi breaks through the defense, then-"_

_"I know, Kenta," Shiro cut the man off. "We don't know how strong this barrier is – and if Kyuubi broke through-"_

_Shiro stopped himself from finishing that, because he did **not** want to think that, much less say it in front of his heavily pregnant wife._

_The attack of a dangerous and powerful demon like Kyuubi was stressful enough as it was without adding mortal peril and inevitable death to it. The last thing he needed was an impromptu birth on his hands in the middle of a crisis without a midwife or medic-nin on hand._

_Kenta understood easily enough, regardless. "Understood sir. Stay safe."_

_"You as well, Kenta," Shiro murmured as his second nodded determinedly and left._

_"It'll hold," Kira commented quietly, eyes still on the barrier._

_"How do you know?" Shiro questioned, taking in the fight before his eyes._

_Kyuubi had finally arrived at the gates of the Higurashi District, and now Shiro was left to watch as the beast destroyed his home and his people, unable to lift a hand to help, unable to take his rightful place leading his men and women in battle to defend their village, evading almost certain death at their sides._

_"I… somehow, I just know. I've never felt anything so… so **powerful** Shiro," she murmured groggily, exhaustion threatening to overwhelm her._

_Shiro nodded, taking his wife at her word. Though little in tangible power she held as a priestess, she did have a sort of sixth sense, of sensing things, knowing things that others didn't._

_"I hope so," he murmured, and turned on his heel to take his wife inside. Seeing the fight with her own eyes would only stress her out even more, and she was already so spent from the baby erecting the barrier._

_Watching inside or outside, it didn't really matter - it wasn't as if Shiro could do anything to actually help his clan._

* * *

 

_Shiro couldn't describe how relieved he was in words when the Kyuubi approached the barrier, drawn to it like a moth to a flame, the demon screeched in an ear-piercing wail as a wave of purification energy washed over him and sent him running away after an angry swipe that left his paw burning._

_His wife, his babe, and he were alive._

_But one look outside his window told him that the people of his clan were not so lucky._

_"This baby… he or she will be formidable in the purification arts. Who knows how it will affect their abilities as a shinobi…" Kira had said when the pulse from the barrier drove the Kyuubi away, wary of the threat of purification._

**_'Who knows, indeed,'_ ** _Shiro thought, pride and worry battling within him. Of course he was happy to hear that his child would be a prodigy in his or her own right._

_What troubled him was what the possession of purification abilities would mean for the baby's abilities as a shinobi? And what would the rest of his clan, his clan that was already buzzing with the roots of unrest, think, should they find out? Especially after tonight, when his unborn baby had the power to not only lock him safely inside a barrier while his men and women sacrificed their lives, but to scare the powerful beast itself into turning and running off with its tails between its legs?_

_Would they accept the babe? Reject the child should its purification abilities overshadow the Seishigan and elemental affinities, or, Kami forbid, dominate them?_

_Or would they fear him or her, should the child possess not only the strong purification abilities, but the Seishigan and elemental affinities as well?_

_Shiro needed to find out how the presence of the holy-ki would react with a kekkei genkai – he needed to find out more information that could explain how the child could channel such energy already, when not even born. It just didn't make sense, and he was determined to look into it, to find more information._

_One thing was for certain, though: Kyuubi's attack on the village already set in motion a sequence of events that would change the life of a certain baby girl forever._

_Shiro just didn't know it yet._

_  
_Words- 2,039


	2. The Start of a New Chapter

Today was the day. They had already passed their test – already graduated.

Now, it was time for the teams to be announced.

Beside her, Naruto was all but buzzing with excitement. She was pleasantly surprised to find him waiting for her outside her house earlier that morning, a hitai-ate tied proudly around his head and his signature, wide, bright, and mischievous grin slapped across his face.

When asked how he got it, Naruto became a bit shifty and said he got a second chance, took a different kind of test, and passed.

He looked so uncomfortable that Kagome didn't have the heart to press – he was just so happy and excited compared to his depressed and dejected disposition yesterday that she just didn't want to ruin his good mood. So instead, she grinned and bombarded him in a congratulatory hug.

On her other side, Sasuke sat there stoically, as usual, his face blank.

Kagome knew better. How couldn't she?

Sasuke was one her closest friends – one of her best friends. Naruto, naturally, was her other best friend.

While his face remained passive, his body was tense and his eyes glittered - the only visible signs of his excitement.

Just then, Naruto glanced over to the door and jumped up to wave. "Sakura-chan!"

Kagome looked over to see Sakura scrambling down towards them, and rolled her eyes at Naruto's over-exuberance towards the pink-haired kunoichi.

However, she was unable to contain her snicker when she heard Sasuke groan lightly under his breath.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura exclaimed, shoving Naruto out of the way.

Kagome cringed in sympathy when Naruto was knocked into the neighboring desk, and glared sharply at Sakura. However, she was only ignored in favor of the Uchiha sitting next to her.

"Are you excited?" Sakura asked, eyes sparkling and smile wide as she plowed on. "Can I sit next to you?" she went on, ignoring the fact that Kagome was actually occupying the seat next to Sasuke.

"Excuse me?" Kagome said slowly, arms crossing as she swiveled to face the pink-haired academy student.

Ino finally came down. "Leave Sasuke-kun alone, Sakura – he doesn't want to talk to you!" she shouted as other girls – fan-girls of Sasuke, of course – crowded around the desk.

Whipping around, Sakura glared at Ino, eyes flashing hotly. "Shut  _up_ , Ino-pig!" she sneered before turning to Kagome. "You don't mind moving over, do you Kagome-chan?" she asked with pseudo-sweetness.

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "And where would Naruto sit?" she said slowly, lips curling in dislike.

Crush on the girl or no, Kagome wasn't going to play nice to the girl for Naruto, not when she treated him like crap.

Sakura shrugged. "There are other seats around here – what?" she said suddenly.

Crouching on the desk in front of Sasuke, Naruto was up in his face and giving him a hard stare.

Kagome turned to see what Sakura was looking at, and blinked at Naruto and Sasuke with incredulity. "What the hell are you two doing?

"Stop glaring at Sasuke-kun!" Ino and Sakura exclaimed.

Naruto ignored them, and continued to glare at the Uchiha. "What's so special about you anyway?" he demanded, leaning closer, as if a better look at him would explain everything.

Sasuke finally looked over to match his glare evenly.

The two continued to glare at each other, waiting for the other to give in, when suddenly, all the girls in the room, save for Kagome, Hinata, and a couple other self-respectable girls, gasped and screamed in horror.

The guy sitting in front of Sasuke had stood up suddenly, shoving Naruto forward, who then vaulted into a lip-lock with Sasuke.

The pair of boys had frozen in horror, faces pale and eyes wide in mortification.

Kagome, however, immediately fell backwards to the ground, clutching at her stomach as she writhed with laughter.

The sound of her laughter knocked the two out of their stunned stupor; they recoiled from each other and began spitting and gagging as they frantically wiped at their mouths.

"Teme!" they sputtered out simultaneously.

It was only moments later when, suddenly, a chill ran down Naruto's spine and he stopped before slowly turning around.

' _Danger…'_

"Naruto, you are  _so_  dead," Sakura growled as she went at Naruto.

Hearing the threat stopped Kagome short, and instantly, she had jumped up to smoothly slide in front of Naruto, who was trying to scramble backwards and away from immediate death.

Crossing her arms, she glared at Sakura and the other girls, blocking their way. "Nuh uh – back off."

Sakura faltered slightly, but straightened quickly enough. "Out of our way, Kagome," she demanded, angry. A chorus of "Yeah!"s and "He needs to pay!" echoed behind her.

Kagome stuck her chin out, eyes glinting threateningly. Naruto was known to be a lovable idiot sometimes, to her anyways, but there was no way Kagome was going to stand by and let a group of girls gang up and beat on him for a stupid, though absolutely  _hilarious_ , accident.

And besides, she – and sometimes Sasuke – was the only one who could beat up Naruto for doing something stupid. It was the unwritten rule in the best friends' clause.

"Make me," the dark-haired kunoichi challenged in a dark tone.

Sakura scowled and took a threatening step forward – Kagome tensed, preparing.

"Go away, Sakura," Sasuke suddenly said, giving the girl a dark stare. "The rest of you as well," he added, ignoring their hurt expressions, Sakura's in particular as he singled her out. Then, he turned to Naruto with a withering glare. "And I'll get you back for that, dobe," he vowed with a dark edge to his voice.

Naruto scoffed, relaxing now that the threat was gone. "As if!

Ino, who was actually a friend of Kagome's, relaxed her aggressive stance and turned away with a sigh. To be honest, sometimes she didn't know who more of a rival to Sakura was: Kagome or herself.

Either way, neither of them would be able to get to Naruto with Kagome around – especially if Sasuke was going to back her up. "Just let it go, Sakura. As if either of them would willingly kiss each other, anyways," she said loftily as she chose a seat at the bench behind Sasuke.

Sakura's hurt expression slipped away slightly so she could glare at Ino's back and she huffed, muttering under her breath. "Whatever," she said as she took a seat at the bench in front of the one Sasuke, Kagome, and Naruto sat at.

Relaxing, Kagome sat back down, Naruto sitting at her right. "Thanks Kagome!" he said, grinning sheepishly.

Kagome smirked, shrugging nonchalantly. "Anytime, Naruto. But, you have to tell me, how'd you like your first kiss?" she said wickedly.

Naruto turned green and gagged at the reminder, and beside her, Sasuke glared at her chillingly. "Well, I guess that's one way to break it to your fan club that you don't swing that way," she couldn't help but chortle at the Uchiha, reveling in the way his eye twitched wildly.

However, when the murderous intent glinted in his eyes, Kagome became nervous. "Maa, maa, Sasuke! I was only kidding!" she chuckled unevenly, fidgeting away slightly.

It was only moments later that Iruka strolled in to announce that they were to be assigned to a three-man team, with a jounin sensei to train them.

All the while, Kagome was pouting as she nursed the bump on her head, courtesy of one, unhappy Uchiha.

Sasuke may have been her best friend, but he sure didn't pull punches.

* * *

 

"Team Seven – Naruto Uzumaki!"

Naruto perked up at his name – Kagome giggled and beside her, Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Sakura Haruno!"

Naruto threw a fist up in the air in victory, while said girl moaned and slammed her face into the desk.

"Sasuke Uchiha!"

Now it was Sakura's turn to jump in excitement and victory, and Naruto's face to fall.

Poor Sasuke – his face, previously so carefully stoic, twisted in thinly-veiled horror.

Kagome couldn't help herself – she snickered, despite the glare Sasuke turned her way.

Now it was only her turn to wait. Despite her disappointment at not being assigned to a team with at least one of her best friends, it didn't damper her excitement completely.

There was always a chance they'd work together on missions later on anyways.

* * *

 

Minutes passed, names were called, and Kagome was getting impatient.

Kiba, Hinata, and Shino were assigned together to Team Eight.

And lastly, Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji were assigned to Team Ten, which by then, Kagome was anxious and confused – and so were her friends.

"Hey, hey!" Naruto exclaimed, jumping up. "What about Kagome?" he demanded. "You didn't assign her to a team!"

Iruka twitched and glared at the boy. "Sit  _down,_ Naruto!" he said irritably, though there was a tinge of fondness to be heard in his tone. He turned to Kagome, face smoothing. "You're to see the Hokage, Kagome, before you can be assigned a team," he told her kindly.

Naruto's face twisted in confusion. "What's that old geezer want with her?" he wondered out loud, ignoring the usual scandalized looks from the other students and the outraged and exasperated look from Iruka at his term of 'endearment'..

Kagome shoved Naruto gently, relaxing slightly: for a moment there, she thought they were going to take her hitai-ate back or something… "Man, Naruto, old  _man_. 'Geezer' is just rude," she chided jokingly.

Iruka groaned in exasperation as the two children shared a grin.

* * *

 

"Hokage-sama!" Kagome chirped as she pushed the door in after Iruka let them go for their lunch break, not noticing how serious the Third's expression was upon her arrival. "Maa - what's the deal? Why wasn't I assigned a team?"

The Hokage frowned, and only said two words.

"It's time."

Kagome's smile fell, her steps faltered, and the color drained from her face.

"Oh."

* * *

 

As they waited for their new sensei to arrive, who was already late, Naruto felt concerned.

Kagome hadn't come back yet - not since she left for the old man's office. She was gone the whole duration of the break, and when they returned, she still wasn't there.

"Will you calm down, dobe?"

Naruto straightened, his face twisting angrily as he turned. His mouth opened to snap at him, but before he could get a word in edgewise a hand slapped him across the back of his head. "Oi!" he exclaimed, clutching his head. "Sakura-chan!" he whined.

Her emerald eyes blazed at him. "Don't yell at Sasuke-kun!" she threatened.

Naruto gaped at her incredulously. "I didn't even say anything!" he defended himself, shrinking when her eyes narrowed at him.

"You were  _going_ to!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes.  _This_ was his team?

"Look, idiot, she's probably gotten things taken care of and was assigned to her own team already," he muttered, ignoring Sakura as she gazed at him dazedly.

Naruto slumped. "Probably," he grumbled. "Didn't have to be such a bastard about it, though…"

' _ **Smack**_ _'_

"Sakura-chan!"

Though Sasuke took a niggle of sadistic pleasure in watching Naruto get beat up by the pink-ette, he held back the urge to sigh.

_Where the hell was their sensei?_

* * *

 

Kagome sat cross-legged at the edge of her bed, staring at her travel gear.

Despite the long journey it would take, she wasn't going to take much; just the basics to survive. All she needed was a tent, a few outfits, her weapons, and food and water to sustain her just in case she couldn't find anything on her way.

And, maybe, some memories too.

Her fingers smoothed over the wooden frame of the picture that usually occupied her nightstand. It was a four panel, each with different people.

On the left was a picture of her eight year-old self, sitting in the lap of a masked man with silver hair that defied gravity. She was leaning against his chest as the man's arms circled her waist, grinning a gapped, toothy smile. The man himself was smiling, the curve of his lips leaving an imprint in his mask. The skin around his only visible eye crinkled, his slanted hitai-ate hiding his other eye from view.

Next to that picture was of a woman and man. The woman was a young-looking busty blonde who was smirking proudly; her long hair was parted into pigtails at the base of her skull, brown eyes glinting with smug fire, and a small diamond marking was set proudly on her forehead.

Beside her was a man she had yet to meet, looking a couple decades older than the woman beside him. He had wild, long, spiky white hair, an unusual, custom hitai-ate, and red striped markings along the length of his face. His dark eyes were squinting as he cringed in agony, hands nursing a goose-egg on the side of his head.

The picture on the farthest right was of her parents. Taken in happier times, Kagome's father was grinning broadly as his daughter was sitting propped on his shoulders; one hand kept hold on his daughter to keep her balanced while the other was wrapped around his wife's waist. Kagome was grinning happily, eyes sparkling, mouth opened and eyes crinkled as she laughed. Her mother, brown eyes shining lovingly, leaned into her husband's embrace, a hand at her daughter's back.

It was obvious in this picture who Kagome took after the most in looks. Her eyes matched her father's perfectly, twin pairs of orbs of deep sapphire. While evidence of her mother's heart-shaped face was discernible through the remnants of Kagome's baby-fat and she had the same ivory skin as her mother's, Kagome received her ears and nose from her father, though her own were smaller of course, and her nose more pert. Though her hair was much longer, it was the same shade of blue-tinted black as her father's and wavy as well while her mother's was curly and dark brown.

The last picture, in the middle right, was the most recent one, taken within the last year. With Kagome in the middle and her arms thrown out to curl around their necks, Naruto and Sasuke were on either side of her; Naruto had an arm wrapped around her waist, grinning his usual mega-watt grin and giving a thumbs up with his free hand and Sasuke, arms crossed, stared out from the picture, one corner of his lips tilted up in an awkward smile.

Gazing at the pictures a moment longer, she folded the frame up and gently slipped it into her pack. "So you heard?" she said softly.

Footsteps echoed lightly as a man, who was leaning casually against the frame of her door, stepped into the room. "I have," he confirmed softly.

Kagome twisted around to face him, and her head tilted curiously. "Shouldn't you be with your team, Kakashi?"

Kakashi shrugged. "They can wait a little."

Kagome snorted. "You're mean," she teased, grinning a bit.

Kakashi chuckled as he took a seat at the edge of her bed, slipping an arm around her shoulders in an almost fatherly embrace. "Maa, maybe – there's nothing wrong with letting them sweat," he murmured.

Kagome bit her lip, shaking her head fondly as she leaned into him; she couldn't help but feel touched.

"Thanks, Kakashi…"

* * *

 

"What are you doing?" Sakura said sharply, watching her new teammate as he set up a prank.

"What d'you think, Sakura-chan?" Naruto said loftily as he nudged the dirty board eraser between the door and the frame. "If he's going to be this late, he should pay for it! Surprise!" he snickered out with wicked glee.

Though she frowned, Sakura mentally smirked.  _'Well, he deserves it for making us wait for hours…'_

Sasuke stared at him, scowling. "You're going to piss off our sensei?" he drawled slowly, looking upon the blond with an expression that relayed his thoughts of him – and they weren't very complimentary. "Really? Piss off the man who's going to train us from now on? The man that could possibly make our lives hell until we're promoted?" Sasuke scoffed. "Besides, he's a  _jounin_  – you really think he'll fall for that?"

Sakura now frowned, both mentally and outwardly. "Sasuke-kun is right. This might not be a good idea, Naruto."

Before Naruto could answer, a hand grasped the door and they all froze, watching.

The door was pushed to the side, and a silver haired man stuck his head through the door, pausing when the eraser hit him.

With a fist pump, Naruto pointed and started laughing outrageously. "Got him! He really fell for it!"

While Sakura apologized profusely for Naruto's actions with faux-regret and mental, smug laughter, Sasuke stared at their new sensei with distaste for falling for such a trick.

After a beat of Naruto's laughter, the man stepped through fully, straightened, and took them all in.

It was then that Naruto and Sasuke realized just  _who_ their sensei was; the two boys glanced at each other, stunned.

After a moment, the man finally spoke, head tilted casually in thought.

"Hmm, how can I put this?" he mused loftily. "Right - my first impression of this group…" he trailed off, and then nodded.

"You're a bunch of idiots, and I hate you all."

They all sweat-dropped.

 

_Words- 2,863_


	3. Goodbye and Farewell

It was dark, only dimly lit by the small lamp sitting upon the corner of a desk, shadows cast creepily upon the room.

Two people sat across from one another, with the desk set between them.

One old, one young; one male, one female.

The older gentleman slouched slightly in his chair, giving off a relaxed air as he stared at the young girl across from him, a worn pipe slipped between his lips. It emanated a faint red glow as smoke wafted above into the air.

The girl; at the age of twelve, she had yet to enter her preteens, but the hitai-ate wrapped around her right bicep signified her status as an adult.

Long, black hair; big, deep, dark blue eyes shining in determination in the lamp light… Ivory skin with freckles scattered across her cheeks, pert nose… Her small, stubborn chin jut out with defiance – her already thin lips set at an even thinner line. Hands clasped on her lap, slim fingers idly fiddling with the ends of the blood red sash tied around her dark blue, short-sleeved shirt kimono right under the bust.

"You know what you have to do?"

Kagome looked away, her defiant façade reluctantly breaking at the soft, grandfatherly tone, and she bit her lip before finally answering. "…Yes, Hokage-sama…"

A puff of smoke escaped the elder's lips, his gaze sympathetic as it settled on the child before him. He sighed.

Kagome's fists clenched the soft gray fabric of her shorts. "This isn't fair," she announced suddenly, voice quiet and quivering with pent-up fury. "I just graduated! I'm finally a genin – I was about to be assigned a team of my own!"

"You knew this was coming," Sarutobi reminded her gently.

Kagome huffed in incredulity. "Not this soon! Not now!" she countered quickly, eyes tearing. "I don't even know what I'll be doing – how long I'll be gone!"

"You will follow the path that fate has set you on, Kagome," Sarutobi advised sagely. The Third Hokage reached over, taking her smaller hand in his own and offered a comforting squeeze. "Your father was vague, but he said when it was time, the seal on the scroll was to release and we were to follow it to the letter."

"I-!" Kagome's automatic rebuttal was stopped short, cutting herself off at the mention, at the reminder, of her late father. Kagome sighed. "Maa, I  _know_ …" she said in resignation, pouting lightly, and then muttered. "I just don't  _like_  it…"

Sarutobi's lips twitched, wry. "You don't have to like it, but you must complete the mission," he murmured rather dryly. "It's a burden that comes with the responsibility of joining the ranks of shinobi: you'll not always like the mission given to you, but they  **are**  necessary – whether they are trivial or of dire importance."

Kagome nodded, still a little reluctant. "I know, duty and all that… Just - what am I supposed to tell Naruto and Sasuke?" she moaned in guilt-ridden resignation.

Sarutobi took a pass of his pipe, savoring it for the moment as he contemplated. He exhaled, smoke evaporating, and finally spoke. "Your good-byes, for now. And then after – it will be at your discretion…"

Kagome nodded once more, and sighed. "At least I'll get to see Mama, Grandpa, and Souta-kun…" she mumbled, trying to look for the silver lining.

Sarutobi smiled gently, and whispered a reminder in that raspy voice of his. "Just remember: to the letter," he told her, patting her hand before letting it go.

Kagome's hand tightened around the scroll in her grasp. "Right," she affirmed with a determined nod, now serious.

If she was to go on a mission, then she couldn't fail.

Failing the mission meant failing the Hokage; it meant failing Kakashi, and Naruto, and Sasuke.

And even more importantly: it meant failing her father.

She would die before she let that happen.

* * *

 

That next day, Kagome woke up before dawn. She collected her things, sealed most of them into a scroll so she wasn't burdened by the weight, slipped them into the holster clipped to her shorts , and locked up the compound.

No one else of the Higurashi Clan was alive and around to take care of it anymore, and who knew when she would come back?

First things first, she had to say good-bye to Sasuke and Naruto.

With that in mind, she headed over to the training grounds.

* * *

 

Maybe it was a lucky coincidence, but Kagome wasn't about to complain at finding only Sasuke and Naruto at the training grounds.

The last thing Kagome wanted to deal with was Sakura and her obsessive-slash-jealous tendencies towards Sasuke while she tried to say goodbye…

"Kagome!" Naruto exclaimed loudly when he saw her, his voice brimming with delighted excitement as he jumped up from his spot on the ground and waved at her. "What are you doing here?"

Kagome shrugged as she walked up to the two by the fence. "Haven't seen you guys since I went to see the Hokage."

"Kagome," Sasuke, who was leaning against the training field boundary fence, quietly greeted as he pushed himself off. "Everything settled then?"

Kagome shrugged once again. "Yeah," she replied, being rather uninformative. "Just needed to take care of something before I can get assigned to a team."

"Great!" Naruto shouted, grinning as he clapped his hands together. "So, whose team are you on? Everybody else has already been divided into three-man teams." His eyes lit up. "Does that mean you're being added to another team? Is it our team? Is it?!" he demanded, bouncing lightly at the thought of his best friend being on his team.

Kagome bit her lip. "Maa, maa, actually… I still have that thing to take care of..." she muttered, before quickly moving on with an uneasy smile. "But after that, maybe I'll get assigned to your team – who knows…?" she murmured. The two boys shared a confused look. "Speaking of which, I never had the chance to ask – who's your jounin-sensei?" she questioned suddenly, deftly changing the subject.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head in mock-thought, eyes squinting. "Some weirdo – I think you know him, name's Kakashi Hatake," he said, snickering.

Sasuke nodded, smirking. "Doesn't seem like much," he commented, playing along.

Kagome's eyes widened. "No way," she laughed out. "For real?"

Naruto nodded eagerly.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "He didn't tell you?"

Kagome fought to keep a straight face and shook her head.

Obviously they didn't know how cruel of a slave-driver Kakashi could be - Kakashi wasn't the type to hold a person's hand through training – and if actively participating, he didn't hold back.

They obviously didn't know of Kakashi's pass-fail rate when it came to teams, either.

So far, it was a zero pass rate.

' _These poor, poor bastards,'_ she couldn't help but impishly think in sadistic glee, more than aware of the tactics Kakashi employed to test genin teams. She was lucky enough to help out a few times – nothing beat a newly made genin's ego down better than getting their ass handed to them by a man burdened by protecting a child (who, Kagome was proud to say, was happily pointing out their mistakes and laughing all the way) while reading smut - and all without breaking a sweat to boot.

"Well, good luck then!" Kagome said in encouragement as she pulled on the strap of her pack, knowing they'd certainly need it.

Naruto grinned in thanks, but Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Going somewhere?"

Kagome licked her lips out of a nervous habit, and nodded shortly. "Yeah, I, uh – " she muttered, before deciding to get it over with. "That thing I've got to get taken care of? I'm actually being sent out of the village."

Naruto's face lit up. "You're going on a mission?!" he exclaimed in disbelief. "Not fair!"

Sasuke, however, picked up the fact that she wasn't telling the whole story. "For how long?"

Kagome rocked on her heels, looking decidedly away from them. "Indefinitely, until the mission is finished," she finally said. "Which might take a while…"

"How long do you think, exactly?" Sasuke asked slowly.

Kagome shrugged. "Who can say – weeks, months…" Kagome swallowed uncomfortably. "Could be years, even…"

" _Years_?!" Naruto parroted as his face fell, incredulous and panicked. "What?" he blurted out, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "You didn't do something wrong, did you?"

Kagome shook her head, laughing a little. "Maa, maa, 'course not, Naruto! You'd be the first to know if I did – we always do our pranks together anyways."

"What kind of mission is this?" Sasuke demanded, feeling puzzled himself.

"I… Uh, I can't say, really."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Can't, or won't?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I just can't," she said impatiently,  _'I don't even know myself.'_

Sasuke scowled.

"Then, where are you going, Kagome?" Naruto asked, concerned.

Kagome ran a hand through her hair. "I'm being sent to my mother's. I'll find out more when I arrive."

"Your mother's?" Naruto echoed, eyes wide. "Shit, that's – that's really far away…"

Sasuke's eyes widened in realization. "You're going alone, aren't you?" he accused, becoming more incensed at the guilty look that her face took on which only confirmed Sasuke's thoughts. "Why are they sending you alone, on a mission? You've just made genin!"

Only those that really knew him knew that the Uchiha's anger was a mask for his worry.

"Maa - the Hokage has his reasons," Kagome quickly said, fidgeting nervously,  _'As Father must have had his own… I hope…'_ "I just – I came here to say goodbye, since I don't know how long it'll take. Hopefully, I'll be back soon though."

Naruto slumped, frowning and looking uncharacteristically depressed. "But you probably won't, right?" he said, having a bad feeling about Kagome's mission. "We won't see you again for a long time…" he muttered. "Fuck, this isn't fair!" he cursed abruptly, and Kagome suddenly found herself engulfed in a tight hug. "I'll really miss you Kagome!"

Kagome lips trembled. "I'll miss you too, Naruto," she mumbled, matching his hug with a fierce squeeze of her own. "Don't worry too much – with all the missions and training you'll have, I'll be back before you know it –dattebayo!" she consoled, cheekily taking his trademark phrase.

It coaxed a bright laugh from him at that. "You better, dattebayo!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and silently groaned at how corny the two could be.

And before he knew it, Sasuke found himself stiffening in a hug of his own.

"I'll miss you too, Sasuke!" Kagome whispered fiercely in his ear.

Sasuke let out a dry sigh, relaxing slightly, and awkwardly patted Kagome on the back. "Yeah, yeah," he mumbled, silently adding,  _'Me too, Kagome_.'

"Just – don't die, alright?"

* * *

 

Kagome stepped out from the village; let the gates shut behind her with a final, almost foreboding, clang.

_Remember: to the letter…_

Kagome nodded as she remembered the Hokage's words, determined.  _'Right._ '

Bringing her hands together and silently thanking Naruto for teaching her the technique, she formed a sequence of hand gestures.

Her body shifted before she took off down the path and started her three week journey to Tokyo, Japan – two on foot to get to the nearest port city, one on boat to the island country itself.

For the most part, she looked the same – except three years older. She was taller and filled out with more curves – and if her bust was a bit larger than average, then, well, she'd blame it on taking inspiration from Naruto– since it was his jutsu she was using, she couldn't just half-ass it and give it any bad rep.

Besides, there was a reason some kunoichi dressed so provocatively: while men had brute strength to their advantage, women were left to use their womanly assets and wiles to give them that extra edge.

And why the letter said to look the part of a fifteen year-old woman, well, Kagome didn't know.

But she'd find out, sooner or later.

"Kagome."

The kunoichi whirled around, hand hovering over her kunai pouch out of reflex. Kagome relaxed at the sight of familiar gravity defying, silver hair. "Kakashi."

"Yo." The jounin's lips twitched as he stepped forward, one eye glinting with amusement as he took in her new form. One of his hands was in his pocket, the other outstretched: in it, a small, brown package.

Her eyebrows furrowed for a moment, before her eyes lit up. "Maa, Kakashi – a goodbye present, for me? You shouldn't have!" she exclaimed bouncing over to accept the package.

Kakashi's one visible eye twinkled. "I didn't," he said with a hint of sadistic glee before adding, "Training scrolls." He smirked at Kagome's following groan. "What, you think just because you don't have your own sensei now, you'll get a break from training?" he taunted lightly in jest.

"No," she admitted sulkily, thinking back to the previous years in which Kakashi happily (and sadistically)  _supplemented_  her academy training...

 _—"Maa, what are they teaching you kids these days? When I was in the academy, I would have been able to finish a long time ago, evaded and disarmed **all**  the traps, and do it all without breaking a sweat_."

 _Kagome stared at him incredulously, pale face drawn and sweaty as she paused in her attempts of making it through what she deemed as 'Kakashi's Obstacle Course of Doo_ _m_ ™' _. "When you were in the academy, Konoha was at war and you had graduated at age **five**  because your were a freaking prodigy!"_

_Kakashi only lowered his little orange book in his hand and eye-smiled at her. "Which is exactly why I'm giving you the watered down version!" he said cheerily with no sympathy whatsoever._

_A crazed sob crept up her throat, but Kagome managed to salvage the remains of her tattered pride by swallowing it down. "Evil," was all she said with vehemence, going so far as to point at him with a shaky finger. " **Evil**."_

_To save the last shreds of her sanity, she told herself that the following evil and maniacal cackles and giggles was purely her imagination... —_

"One could wish though." Kagome sighed as she resurfaced from the memories. That wasn't one of her more prouder moments...

Kakashi chuckled, a slightly evil edge to it that made a small part of Kagome, a part she locked away long ago, want to whimper inside. "We'll be sending more if you're gone longer or if you finish them faster than we assume you would."

" _Awesome_ ," she muttered, tucking the package into her bag. Kagome looked up suddenly when she felt Kakashi approach her.

"Maa, be safe," he murmured as he gathered her into an embrace, and he pressed clothed lips to her forehead. "And come home soon."

Kagome nodded, eyes determined. "You got it, Kakashi." And suddenly she smirked. "And don't be too hard on Naruto while I'm gone."

Kakashi matched her smirk with one of his own. "Found out, did you?" he murmured wryly. "Maa, no words of concern for his teammates?"

Kagome shrugged, and stepped back, pulling on her pack and tugging it to check it was on tight. "Sasuke can take care of himself. Naruto can too, of course, but, well, he's  _Naruto_  – and they've already underestimated you. Sakura, well…" Kagome grinned rather sadistically. "You know what they say: if you don't have anything nice to say, you shouldn't say it all."

Kakashi cocked an eyebrow at her. "Never stopped you before."

"True, but then that would just spoil the surprise!" Kagome said cheekily before giving a jaunty wave of farewell. "See you later, Kakashi!" And with that, she disappeared into the leaves.

As Kakashi's soft chuckle faded away, so did his light smile, which was replaced by a concerned, thoughtful frown. Looking over, he nodded to the ANBU hidden within the tree, before their mostly suppressed chakra signature disappeared, taking off in Kagome's direction.

"See you later, Kagome. And good luck…"

 

_Words- 2,655_


	4. Interlude: Kakashi's Lament I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this fic, interludes will act as flashbacks. Flashbacks within flashbacks will be in italics (lol, sorry!) 
> 
> This takes place when Kagome's five, so seven years before the Rookie Nine's graduation.

Growing up, Kakashi Hatake was known as a prodigal genius. With his mother dying while he was young, his father raised him the only way he knew he could – as a shinobi. So, naturally, while his impressive skills were well known, his emotional capacity was most certainly not.

For the most part, he was the epitome of indifferent and reserved - he went strictly by the books and demeaned those that didn't. There was no room for breaking the rules; no room for letting emotions out to play, even if he wasn't on a mission.

No, the rules were sacred and they could not be forsaken; he lived by them by day and dreamt of them by night.

It took a tragedy to break that. It took the death of a teammate, of the boy – who he didn't realize until it was too late, until that same teammate threw the rulebook at his face with scorn to rescue their other teammate, until he was under a boulder, dying and sacrificing his eye, his greatest gift – that was his best friend.

Still, in his late teens and serving a stint in ANBU as a Captain, he kept up his emotional façade in a different capacity – instead of a cold, arrogant frontage, he veiled his true emotions with an aloof, laidback, and somewhat lazy attitude.

Rules were treasured, but friends, comrades, were treasured even more.

And so, when the Hokage assigned him the mission, he was understandably confused and admittedly annoyed as well.

* * *

 

_Shiro snickered outright at the horrified expression on his_ _friend's face as he stared down_ _the little girl by his feet, hands flailing in what could only be an 'up' gesture_ _–it was mildly horrified, with just hints of fear and panic_ _. "Awh, Kakashi-kun, she's a toddler - she isn't going to bite," he teased_ _mercilessly_ _._

_Kakashi gave a rankled stare at the man. "That isn't what Jiraiya-sama says, Shiro-_ _taicho_ _," he muttered darkly._

_Shiro grinned_ _; if the young teen wasn't wearing a mask, he was sure he'd see Kakashi pouting ever so slightly_ _. "Well, that old pervert likes to tease her_ _and she_ _**is** _ _her mother's daughter_ _, so what do you expect?" he murmured wryly, and went to scoop up his daughter. "Here, love, say hi to Kakashi_ _,_ _hm?" he said softly, handing her over to the teenager._

_Kakashi swallowed thickly as he was given no choice but to tentatively grab the child, lest he drop her, and awkwardly clutch her to his chest._

_The girl gave a toothy grin. "Hi 'kashi!" she chirped happily. Her eyes became shifty suddenly, and she leaned in to whisper conspiratorially. "You have pretty hair_ ,"  _she told him like it was the_ _big_ _gest_ _secret_ _in the world_ _, and to further her point, she reached over to tug lightly on a silver strand._

_Shiro chortled._

_The silver-haired teen frowned, pinning the man with a_ _n_ _irritated_ _stare. "It's Ka-ka-shi," he said slowly._

_Kagome was not fazed; she nodded rather resolutely, as if that's what she_  said. "' _ **Kashi**_."

 _Kakashi's eyes narrowed._  " _ **Ka**_ _ **-**_ _kashi_."

 _Kagome tried mimicking it, but erupted into giggles_ _instead_ _._  "' _ **K**_ _ **ashi**_ _!_ "

_Kakashi's lips pursed, before he smirked under his mask. "Alright, fine. But I'm calling you 'Gome-chan."_

_Now, Kagome didn't have to mimic anyone this time; she was able to glare perfectly on her own._  " _Kagome_."

_Kakashi's smirk widened. "_ _'_ _Gome."_

_Kagome frowned. "Kagome!"_

_Mentally, Kakashi was snickering evilly._   _"'_ _ **Gome**_ _."_

 _Kagome leaned into his face, eyes narrowing._   _"_ _ **Ka**_ _-gome."_

"' _Go_ _oo_ _me," Kakashi drawled tauntingly, ignoring Shiro's mutter of wry exasperation of_  "Oh, dear, Kami…"

_Scowling, Kagome reached over and pulled on Kakashi's hair a little harder than before. "Bah!_ _**Bad** _ _'_ _**Kashi** _ _!" she chid_ _ed, and for good measure, she batted_ _his nose_ _lightly_ _._

_Kakashi was so surprised that_ _he flinched_ _before gaping_ _at her, stunned_ _._

_Shiro couldn't stop snickering for days._

* * *

 

When he approached the door, Kakashi pocketed the worn, orange book into the pouch clipped at his hip, knocked, and waited.

Once he heard the Hokage call out permission to enter, the nineteen year old ANBU captain entered the office.

Languidly, he strolled over before pausing in front of the desk, standing straight, yet a slight slouch to his stance could still be detected. "Hokage-sama," Kakashi demurred, head bowing.

"You're late," his Hokage commented dryly.

"My apologies, Hokage-sama," Kakashi murmured, his stance decidedly not apologetic at all. "I took a wrong turn," he continued to intone with a lazy drawl.

The Hokage shook his head, exasperated, but let it slide like always. "Well, at least it was only ten minutes this time…" he muttered, oblivious to the way Kakashi smirked behind his ANBU mask.

"You wanted to see me?"

Nodding, the Hokage gestured to the chair before his desk. Without further prompting, Kakashi took a seat.

"I have a mission for you," Hiruzen Sarutobi began, looking rather serious. It was due to this that Kakashi lost the slight slouch to his posture, becoming serious as well. "But first, if you don't mind, would you take off your mask?"

Blinking, Kakashi mentally shrugged before he palmed his ANBU masked, designed and shaped to emulate a dog, and pulled it off to reveal a half-masked face via cloth, pale skin, one charcoal eye, and a slanted Leaf hitai-ite.

Hiruzen nodded his thanks. "As I was saying - a mission." The leader of Konoha picked up a scroll from the stack atop his desk, and unrolled it. "It's a long-term mission, indefinite until you complete it, with an A-rank. It shouldn't be very dangerous though, but there's always a chance. I must warn you, though, it may seem a bit unconventional for you, but I implore you to think before you decide."

Kakashi was slightly confused, but nodded nonetheless. A long-term mission usually meant time out of the village, which he wouldn't pass up. "Of course, Hokage-sama," he murmured in deference.

"Right," Hiruzen muttered, before straightening to give off a bit more of a professional air. "Well then, your mission is, essentially, to guard and train Higurashi Kagome."

Mid-nod, Kakashi froze and stared at the Hokage in blatant shock.

 

_Words- 1,013_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Kakashi to death.
> 
> Writing him is a bitch though, haha! Trying to get into the psyche that is Kakashi's is tough, mostly because I find him to be a complex person and partly because I seriously don't want to screw his character up lol. I still adore him though, which is why, despite the difficulty, I enjoyed writing this! XD 
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed!


	5. Interlude: Kakashi's Lament II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter heavily inspired by "Demons" by Imagine Dragons. It's what got me through this monster of a chapter, trying to write Kakashi's character.

A white, thick eyebrow inched its way up on the Sandaime's face. The Hokage's eyes glittered in what Kakashi could only depict as amusement, which made his one eye hidden behind his hitai-ite tick in irritation.

"Kakashi-kun," the Hiruzen drawled, not bothering to hold back the wry twitch to his lips. "You look…  _puzzled_ …" It wasn't often that Hatake Kakashi, a.k.a. Sharingan no Kakashi, was so shocked that he actually  _showed_ it.

Sarcastic, definitely; irritated, yes; angry, rarely, but still.

But, shock? No, that was something saved for a blue moon.

Under the desk, away from the Hokage's eyes, his fingers twitched; otherwise, Kakashi was completely composed as he wiped his face of any and all emotion.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes crinkled in obvious amusement. "You may speak your mind, if you wish," he granted glibly.

"Honestly?" Kakashi murmured dryly. "For one part, I'm questioning your sanity at the moment."

Sarutobi chuckled, not the least bit offended. "And the other?"

Kakashi remained silent, not willing to say a babysitting job of all things was beneath him – that, still, for now, he preferred to go on missions that would take him outside the village. He wanted to stay out as much as he could.

He was almost ready; he could feel it. Almost.

But not yet.

Eventually, though, he answered and in a flat tone at that. "I'm not exactly…  _child-friendly,_ " Kakashi drawled, reminding the Hokage of his own words years ago.

Sarutobi tilted his head at him inquisitively, ignoring what could have been seen as a passive-aggressive jibe. "I was under the impression you liked Kagome-chan," he countered carefully.

Grudgingly, he admitted that he did. "I… do," Kakashi clarified – accurate as that was, however, it wasn't the point.

Sarutobi's eyes narrowed, studying him. "I… respected your initial refusal to be assigned to the monitor rotation on Naruto-kun without dissent," he eventually said, delicately composing his words as he watched Kakashi like a hawk.

Kakashi withheld the snort threatening to come out.  _'Only because I 'respectfully' told you_ _where to shove that offer since_ _you denied me when I all but begged to_ _be allowed_ _to_ _take_ _Naruto_ _in_ _,'_  he thought, still a little bitter about  _that_  particular incident.

Oblivious to his thoughts, Hiruzen continued. "You had just lost much in the Kyuubi attack – you wanted to keep busy, to lose yourself in the mission, to stave off the reminder. As unhealthy as it was I understood that we all grieve in our own ways, and so, I assigned you the missions you requested," he went on to say, evoking guilt to rise within the Hatake.

Kakashi's one visible eye shut at what the Hokage was too kind to say.  _'You lost what little you had in the attack: many com_ _panions, as well as your Sensei, the last of your team_ _.'_

"You were young, you were angry, and you were grieving. It seemed to me that last thing you wanted, and needed, was a constant physical reminder of what happened," the Hokage continued in a sympathetic tone.

Kakashi's jaw clenched at the reminder, and the guilt, a new one that just  _burned_  him for abandoning his Sensei's kid, assaulted him not for the first time.

The Hokage was right, though; looking at the boy, at his head of spiky blond hair and bright blue eyes… it was just so  _fucking painful_  . To be so close, yet so far away… The boy, his only link to the man that was a father to him while his own was gone, just within his grasp, but restricted from helping like Minato did him…

Kami, he tried – he tried, and pleaded, and begged, and used up every line of reasoning available to him, but nothing would work. And when that happened, a rare occurrence took place: running on the last shred of his sanity and patience, he snapped and had a tantrum - albeit a minor one, but a tantrum nonetheless.

Sensei was dead, Kushina was dead, Rin was dead, Obito was dead — he was alone, he was in pain, and he was  _pissed_  at being left helpless to watch as his Sensei's son was shipped off to an orphanage because it was just too dangerous to let Naruto's true heritage out in the open, because he was too young, because he was the last member of a minor clan and taking in a Jinchuuriki would upset the clan balance — but fuck if he gave a shit because this was  _Minato-sensei and Kushina-nee's son_ not just a Jinchuuriki, but, of course, who cared that the baby was the only son of the man who pretty much saved them all? No, let's just shit on his wishes, ignore his plea to look upon the child as a hero, and shove him off to the nearest orphanage as soon as possible, because that's  _definitely_  the way to honor their Hokage, the man who sacrificed his life and his son to save them all.

And then, —  _and then!_  — to be offered a mere ANBU  _guard post_  on the baby? That was the icing on the cake.

It was a cruel tease and it was just too much; like salt poured into the already festering wound — to be forced to watch, and only watch, from the shadows, unable to help when the child cried or fell and scraped his knees, to be forced to watch as the child grew up alone and feeling unwanted and hated, unable to make a place in his life to show that it wasn't true.

And it  _pissed him off_.

So, of course, he declined in a way that all but said "fuck no", demanded the longest, out of the village mission up for grabs, and then went on his way away from the village that was a constant source of pain in his chest  _and_ in his ass.

But, now…?

"Sometimes, I… I wish I took that back…" Kakashi muttered, head lifting and gaze rising to the ceiling, knowing now what he was too angry back then to see the opportunity as for what it really was — an olive branch, a loophole, a way to watch over the kid and protect him, as distant as it was.

It was unfortunate that he just didn't see it at the time — maybe he wouldn't have blown up at the Hokage and then thrown himself into back-to-back suicide missions for months if he did…

Sarutobi shook his head, eyes glinting knowingly. "You're making it up, watching out for the child, in your own way," he murmured wryly.

And Kakashi was; or, at the very least, he was trying to.

On the one year anniversary of the Kyuubi attack, one of the orphanage workers was caught trying to attack the defenseless baby with a syringe of lethal poison — obviously, the man was unaware of the baby's ANBU guard up until the point he had a kunai aimed at his kidney by one of them, right before he could press the needle against Naruto's skin.

The same night of the attack, Dog had returned from a mission; curiously enough, the next morning when an ANBU escort came to collect the man for his execution, which was to show just how much assassination attempts on the child was appreciated, said man was found beaten black, blue, and bloody, moaning in agony.

Ever since then, it wasn't unusual to find Dog lurking in the shadows when he wasn't on a mission, watching from afar as Naruto ambled throughout the village, even despite his refusal of guard duty.

When the orphanage finally kicked the boy out at the ripe old age of five, he was placed in the apartment that used to be his mother's. It came cleaned and fully furnished – with a small box of trinkets, including symbols of Kushina's clan, tucked away in the closet.

And the stipend that Naruto lived off of? It wasn't much – that is, until a certain ANBU added a little to it.

Despite the guilt, despite the pain, no one could deny that Kakashi was fiercely protective of him.

"I wish I could do more." At one point, Kakashi would have been embarrassed at being caught – but helping out the kid was something he was proud of.

It was the least he could do, since it was impossible to even lay an eye on the child without being slammed with the grief, loss, and guilt all at once.

"He  _deserves_  to have more. I see the looks; I hear the whispers…" Kakashi trailed off, eyes shutting in intense fury. "Sensei wanted him to be seen as a hero – yet, everyone sees him as a monster and Naruto is left to endure the brunt of all the hate, not knowing why and not having one person to trust or love."

The worst part was that he couldn't just walk up to Naruto and introduce himself, to make a place in Naruto's life.

Only a handful knew of Naruto's true parentage and it would stay that way until Naruto was old enough to defend himself – enemies like the Iwa nins would jump at the chance to steal away Konoha's Yellow Flash and Yondaime's legacy.

The fact that Naruto's hosted the Kyuubi made it even more dangerous.

Associating with the child for no apparent reason would raise suspicions – especially since he was the  _furthest_  from the type to willingly interact with a child, never mind the  _Jinchuuriki_. There would just  _have_  to be a reason, rumors would fly, and soon enough, someone smart enough would link it to the fact that it was because Naruto was his Sensei's child.

With the way the boy was quickly growing to be his father's spitting image, that wouldn't be hard to believe. The only reason why no one suspected now was because people would never want to connect the Yondaime, their hero, to the blond Jinchuuriki in any way possible – they'd rather remain in denial than entertain a thought that could 'tarnish' the memory of him.

"I know," Sarutobi whispered, regretful and sad as he shook his head before finally sighing. "I do too, but even I can only do so much in my position – as much as I wish I could, I cannot force people to like Naruto. It was all I could do to make the law, and by forbidding direct, outside intervention to prevent those… less than savory," he said, voice tinged with disgust, "from taking the child in and molding him to their own desires, I also restricted how much I can help the boy myself."

Kakashi's jaw clenched at the reminder, thinking back to Danzo's proposals to take the child into ROOT for 'special conditioning', as well as some of the clans request to raise him –whether to gain power to hold over the other clans, or to give them the opportunity to 'stage an accident' he didn't know but it made his eye glint darkly just thinking about it.

Eventually, though, Kakashi let out a sigh as he nodded solemnly at his Kage. "You did what you could, Hokage-sama," he murmured softly.

The Hokage gave him a faint, sad smile, at the sincere acknowledgment and eyed the man across from him appraisingly. "Kakashi, I've… sensed a change in you," he said gently. "I suspect that it won't be long until you retire from ANBU."

Kakashi remained quiet, because, to be honest, that was true. Not many stayed as long in ANBU as he did, and wasn't just with the difficulty of staying alive, but staying sane as well.

"That, your strength, and your ability with the Sharingan is why I believe you're best fitted with the job."

Kakashi sighed once more, and nodded reluctantly.

"As mentioned, this is a long term mission with multiple objectives. Most importantly, you need to guard Kagome Higurashi. With the recent in-clan civil dispute, it seems that she and her mother are the sole survivors here in Konoha. As the last Higurashi with the Seishigan and her mother being a civilian, she is vulnerable. I am concerned for her safety."

Kakashi's one eye narrowed. It wasn't unusual for children with doujutsu to be kidnapped, because it was easier steal a child than fighting a seasoned shinobi.

Additionally, it was much more productive, because a shinobi was a one-time deal. With a child, they can be brainwashed, desensitized, and left to be used for breeding to produce more shinobi with the doujutsu before finally  _harvested_  after their use had run out.

"Yes, kidnapping is a great possibility, since she's so young and an easy target," Sarutobi said, correctly assuming where Kakashi's thoughts were heading. "I'm sure you remember the Hyuuga incident two years ago."

"And that was with the compound fully guarded," Kakashi commented idly.

A grim expression flitted across the elder's face at the reminder. "Additionally, with the lack of a body, the chance that Takeshi lives remains."

Kakashi let out a small huff. "You don't think Kagome's accidental earth and lightning attacks finished the old bastard off either, hm?" he murmured.

Sarutobi shook his head. "I regret to say that I don't. While her ability is impressive, the lack of evidence is too much to overlook. But, now that you mention it, her kekkei genkai are another reason why I want you nearby."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Her doujutsu, or her elemental abilities?"

Sarutobi sighed. "Both. Kagome's accidental attack on Takeshi worries me. Her control on the elements is tied to her emotions, and right now, she's in a delicate, unstable condition. With your extensive knowledge in elemental ninjutsu, I'm hoping that you can continue her training and help with her control." He snorted. "I'd rather she not call out for lightning strikes or start a fire at random, and if she does, you ought to be able to do some damage control."

Kakashi nodded slowly. "That makes sense," he murmured. "What about her doujutsu? I'm afraid, despite how close I was to Shiro, we never discussed his clan's doujutsu much in depth."

"Ah, the Seishigan," Sarutobi murmured. "Honestly, Kagome's abilities are of a bit of an unknown variable." Opening up a drawer, he removed a scroll and spread it out across his desk. "Shiro died before they could complete Kagome's training with her doujutsu. Without proper training, there can be complications, running the risk of destabilizing Kagome's mind."

Kakashi leaned back, taken aback by the news. "I thought the Seishigan only presents itself to those strong of mind?" he murmured.

Sarutobi nodded lightly. "That it is, but even the strongest of minds can break," he replied. "Users who cannot control it lead the risk of eventually locking themselves in their own mind, and like I said, she's currently in a delicate condition." A finger ran down the length of the scroll, eyes scanning the words. "The Sharingan is one of the few things that could possibly resist the Seishigan, aside from the Seishigan itself and vice versa."

Kakashi's eyebrows furrowed in thought. "A balance."

"Yes," Sarutobi agreed. "Due to the potential danger of the training itself, one of these two are needed to monitor the process."

Kakashi's eye flickered to the scroll on the Hokage's desk. "And… Shiro told you this?" he ventured, uncertain.

Sarutobi's eyes shut, and he sighed solemnly. "Shiro… he was well aware of the civil unrest in his clan. He cared dearly for his daughter, just as he did his wife, and went to great lengths to ensure their safety. As such, he made preparations in the case his death came untimely." The elder man shook his head. "There are times where I think he knew he would die early all along."

"Higurashi's are mind readers – not future tellers," Kakashi saw fit to state.

Sarutobi chuckled. "Some would mix the two, but yes, I know."

"And still…" Kakashi murmured knowingly, lips twitching wryly.

"And still, there are times I entertain the thought. In any case, you and Shiro became close comrades during your time together in ANBU, so you are familiar with Kagome. With your Sharingan, you are the best for the mission."

"You could always ask an Uchiha," Kakashi suggested slowly, curious why the Hokage did not do so in the first place.

Sarutobi snorted. "The Higurashi are to the Uchiha as the First was, initially, to Uchiha Madara – respected rivals. I'd rather not go throw the girl to the wolves," he shot back drolly.

Kakashi's lips twitched.

"As for the mission parameters... you will train Kagome and help her stabilize her Seishigan - Shiro has left scrolls to help. There are also scrolls containing, what I assume, advanced jutsu, information, and clan secrets of the like, but can only be accessed by Kagome herself, so it's up to her to allow you to help her when it comes to it. Additionally, I'd like you to help gain control over her elemental affinities - again, the clan procedures are left in the scrolls. As you do this, you will be tasked with protecting her, should a threat arrive."

Hiruzen handed over the mission scroll to Kakashi to look over himself. "This will be a long term mission, until Kagome has an efficient amount of control over her affinities and has stabilized her Seishigan. Since this is a long term mission, you will not need your cover. An ANBU guard will take your place when you are finished training for the day. If you are called back to your ANBU duties for a mission, I will arrange for Weasel to take your place for training until you return."

Kakashi blinked as his eyes scanned the mission scroll, and at the Hokage's words. "You're putting a lot of effort into watching her," he stated slowly, leveling Hiruzen with an analyzing stare.

Sarutobi matched his stare before sighing, figuring since the ANBU was going to train the person in question, he ought to know. "You remember the night of the Kyuubi attack," he reminded, eyes shutting. "You know that, as the Higurashi compound was one of the first in the Kyuubi's path, many of their people died defending the village."

"Yes," Kakashi admitted hesitantly, not understanding why he brought it up.

When Hiruzen opened his eyes, they were hardened. "You may also know that the Kyuubi turned away from the district. However, what you may not know is that main house and beyond was left completely untouched, and that the Kyuubi did not leave of its own will. Not only was the demon diverted, but was in actuality, scared off."

Kakashi's eye widened in shock. "But, how?" he said, confused.

"Kira comes from line of priestess and monks."

"I know that," Kakashi drew out slowly. "Shiro told me that, but he also said that there hasn't been one born with actual, prominent abilities for quite some time."

Sarutobi gave him a grim look. "During the attack, a powerful barrier made of purification energy was erected around the main house, trapping Shiro and Kira inside." The Hokage paused, the tension deepening, before he finally announced, "Kiri was seven months pregnant at the time."

Kakashi froze, looking at him in disbelieving realization. "You're saying that  _somehow_ their  _unborn child_  erected a barrier that  _scared off_  the Kyuubi itself?" he stated slowly, stunned.

Sarutobi pinned him with a significant look. " _Yes_."

Kakashi let out a loud breath. The possibilities of such an ability, to scare a Bijuu, was as amazing as it was rare and valuable – only the First's Mokuton and the Uzumaki fuuinjutsu was able to do such a thing. The potential was wide, as priestess can not only produce barriers, but can seal and purify.

"This is another reason why she needs help with her training. Shiro had always suspected that the addition of her purification abilities from her mother ran the risk of conflicting with her kekkei genkai and elemental affinities, possibly leading to instability. The fact that the kekkei genkai itself can already lead to complications if the user is not properly trained only adds an even larger risk."

Kakashi numbly nodded to show he heard, before he stiffened suddenly, realizing. His eye rose to lock with Hiruzen's, a hint of accusation in his gaze. "You have plans for her, don't you? And for Naruto?"

Hiruzen stared back at him, face stoic, and there was a look in his eyes that reminded Kakashi why the man was chosen to be Hokage in the first place. "I will admit, her abilities are certainly valuable, especially if there ever is a repeat of five years ago. It would be reassuring that, however unlikely, should any complications arise from the Kyuubi she might be able to help neutralize the threat," he said diplomatically.

Kakashi's jaw tightened. "You mean purify him?" he said with a tint of anger.

But Hiruzen remained calm. "If worse comes to worse, yes. But only as a last resort. I'd rather she be able to erect a barrier to contain the threat until it subsides. Maybe even help, or improve the sealing if she receives the proper training."

At his words, Kakashi relaxed and looked away.

The Sandaime leaned back in his chair and smiled the teen's concern, ignoring the tension and awkward atmosphere. "But that is not the only reason why I am so concerned for her wellbeing. She is a five year old little girl, who has just lost most of her family because her uncle was jealous and greedy. Kira has put in the request, and I am only too happy to oblige and help a child of Konoha. I chose you, because the information about her abilities is sensitive, and considering your ties with Naruto and Kagome, you're the last one I'd suspect to abuse said information."

Kakashi was faintly shocked at the Hokage's words. "I see..." he murmured, letting out a loud breath. "So that's why there was a civil dispute then?" he more stated than asked. "It makes sense now. I knew that Shiro was getting problems for marrying Kira, and that his brother was a power hungry bastard… but I didn't know it was because of Kagome."

Sarutobi nodded solemnly. "Kira told me that Takeshi always wanted to be Clan Head, that their marriage gave him ammunition against them. The events of the Kyuubi attack only worsened their situation; his inability to fight with the clan to defend the village and his people caused dissention and resentment. When it was suspected that Kagome's miko lineage would dominate over her Seishigan, there was talk of removing Shiro as head and stripping Kagome of her heiress status if that was the case, due to the speculation that any children that came from their union would be affected similarly."

"But then Kagome activated her Seishigan, disproving that," Kakashi mused thoughtfully.

Sarutobi sighed wearily, nodding grimly. "It appeared that only served to anger Takeshi, as well as frighten him, her possession of the ability to ward off a Bijuu along with the kekkei genkai lead to the belief that she would be too powerful. He gathered as many allies as he could to throw a coup and tried to assassinate her, only to be caught in the act. The rest, as they say, is history."

Kakashi pinched the bridge of his nose. "Poor Kagome..." he muttered.

Hiruzen couldn't help but agree. Poor Kagome indeed.

 

_Words- 3,887_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, you know how I mentioned this was insanely difficult to get down? I wasn't kidding, lol. This whole interlude portion went through eight revisions. 
> 
> I tried to show how I see Kakashi, a complex man full of contradiction and so my writing took a sort of ranting style(?) as I tried slipping into his mindset. I listened to that song I mentioned earlier, 'Demons', and it really helped getting me into it. I know Kishimoto never went into exactly why Kakashi never took a more active role in Naruto's life when Minato's been his sensei since he graduated the academy at like five. There's also the fact that Jiraiya, who was his godson, didn't enter Naruto's life until his was, what, twelve? We can only speculate why.
> 
> And so, here's my speculation lol. I've always wondered why no one took Naruto in. His birth may have been kept on the dl, but it doesn't seem like it was a secret. Surely Minato and Kushina's friends knew they were having a baby, so why wouldn't they offer to take the kid in? Maybe it's a ninja thing? Who knows? In any case, not everyone discriminated against Naruto, which is why I can see the Hokage making it so that no one can directly intervene in Naruto's life, so Danzo or one of the clan heads couldn't grab him for ill intentions. Kakashi's the type to hold on fiercely to his bonds, so I can't help but think that Kakashi tried to take in Naruto when no one else did, despite how unlikely it would be that he, a fourteen ANBU member, would be allowed to do so. And when that didn't happen, he did the only thing he could – put distance between him and the painful situation.
> 
> Just, in this story, it didn't stay that way lol. I'd also like to think he'd help Naruto out without him knowing, sort of like a mysterious benefactor haha. To me, I think it would just fit him, helping from the sidelines, unable not to do it because of obligation, duty, and the desire just to help out his sensei's kid even despite how much it might hurt just to look at him.
> 
> Hopefully I conveyed all of this without screwing it up, haha.
> 
> Anyway, that's all folks! Sorry about the extra long AN.


	6. Interlude: Kakashi's Lament III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be the last of the Kakashi Interludes, and then the story will resume.

"Hello, Kira."

"Oh, Kakashi!" Kira exclaimed quietly, opening the door wider to greet the silver-haired teen. "How are you?"

"I am well," he said slowly, peering at her, "Though, I believe I should be the one asking you that."

Kira's lips pursed, gaze downcast. "Well, I'm holding up as well as can be expected..." she murmured, ushering the teen in. "It's Kagome I'm worried about, to be honest…" she admitted, forehead creased with concern.

Kakashi let out an acknowledging hum. "The Hokage accepted your mission request," he informed her.

Kira blinked, not expecting him to tell her that. "He did?" she said automatically, before she  _really_ smiled. "That's… good," she murmured softly.

Kakashi nodded. "He gave it to me – I accepted."

Kira's eyes widened in shock, and this time, she smiled widely, eyes becoming suspiciously wet. "Really?" she breathed out, "Thank you so much, Kakashi," she said, voice thick with emotion.

Reaching out, she grabbed the teen's hand, squeezing. "I appreciate it so much. I was so afraid, thinking one day someone might snatch my baby, like those Kumo nins did to that poor Hyuuga girl. And not only that, but I was worried about starting Kagome's training again - I know she needs it, but if something went wrong, I wouldn't be able to do a thing about it..." she fretted, eyes wide with a hint of panic as she imagined the possible scenarios.

Kakashi awkwardly patted Kira's hand. "Well, you don't have to worry any longer. I'll help her with her doujutsu training, as well as her elemental affinities. You shouldn't have worried so much for her safety though - Hokage-sama was already aware of the risk Kagome is in for kidnapping. He's had an ANBU watching her for a while now."

Kira sighed in relief, releasing Kakashi's hand, much to his  _own_ relief. "That's good to know. Hokage-sama is too kind," the woman murmured. Shaking her head, she peered at him. "Well, I was making lunch when you knocked. If you'd like, you're welcome to stay."

Kakashi paused for a moment, thinking, before nodding. "If you don't mind, I will, thank you."

Kira smiled at him. "You can go ahead and visit Kagome while you wait; she's in the guest room two doors down from her bedroom." Her eyes flickered, dimming. "She hasn't been to her own bedroom since that day."

Kakashi's eyebrows furrowed momentarily, before realization struck and he remembered – Takeshi had snuck into her room to assassinate her, which was what started the fight in the first place. "Ahh," he breathed out, before giving the woman an eye-smile. "I'll go do that."

With a sad smile in parting, Kira turned to make her way to the kitchen while Kakashi made his way up the stairs to Kagome.

It was quiet, the teen noticed as he silently padded down the hall. When he reached the door to the room Kagome was in - he could sense her small chakra signature, but otherwise, there was no indication that she was even there - he opened the door and peeked inside.

There, on the window ledge and staring outside, was the five year old. Lips drawn downwards into a frown, her eyes were swimming in dark emotions as she leaned her head against the window.

Kakashi knocked on the door-frame to announce his presence and to get Kagome's attention, but the girl remained staring outside as she mumbled a barely audible, "Come in."

Frowning, Kakashi silently strode through the room and toward the window, and reached around to firmly poke the girl on the forehead.

Turning, wide, dull sapphire eyes blinked up at him. "'Kashi?" the little girl mumbled half-heartedly.

"Yo, 'Gome-chan," he said softly, crouching to her level, hoping to get a rise out of her.

Kagome frowned, and looked away sullenly. "It's  _Kagome_  ," she huffed halfheartedly.

Kakashi sighed. It seemed that he had no other choice.

Kagome froze a foreboding feeling overwhelmed her, but she never had a chance to say anything as a horde of fingers descended upon her and danced along her sides.

With an outraged shout that would have sounded impressive if it wasn't reduced to a squeal of laughter, Kagome collapsed to the ground, writhing almost violently as Kakashi tickled her relentlessly, intent on getting at least a smile out of her.

With a smirk spread proudly across his face, he was happy to discover he did.

* * *

 

Sarutobi leaned back, smiling softly to himself as he watched his ANBU captain attack the young Higurashi with tickles through the crystal ball of his, satisfied with his decision.

Kakashi knew that he was chosen because he was one of the few the Hiruzen trusted, and that while part of his reasoning behind the mission was because the girl's abilities were valuable and that she was the last of her clan, it was mostly because he genuinely wanted to help the young girl.

But that wasn't all.

Soon, Kagome would be entering the Academy - as well as many of the other Clan heirs. But most importantly, Naruto would be entering the Academy, and even more importantly, Naruto would be in Kagome's class.

Kagome was a mix of her parents – her mother's kindness yet fiery temper, and her father's humor and open acceptance. Kira wasn't the type to warn her daughter off from playing with the village's 'demon'.

Naruto was a mischievous little kid with a bright grin and big baby blues - if it wasn't for the demon inside him, Hiruzen had no doubt that child would have little trouble making friends.

Maybe, hopefully, Kagome and Naruto would find a friend in each other when they meet. Kami knew, with Naruto's ostracization from the village, and Kagome's depression, guilt, hurt, and loss from her clan's death. Naruto would cheer Kagome up, and in return, Kagome would make sure Naruto wouldn't be alone anymore.

And, if that should happen, and somehow Kakashi was roped into meeting the bundle of blond mischievousness as a by-product of said friendship, well then, all the better.

Sarutobi was sure Kakashi wouldn't mind a reason to interact with the boy.

 

_Words- 1,022_


	7. Enter, Feudal Era

When Kagome finally arrived at the shrine, she had barely managed to re-familiarize herself with her surroundings before an excited shout broke through the otherwise calm silence.

"Kagome-nee-chan!"

Kagome grunted when a dark-haired blur zoomed out of nowhere and crashed into her mid-section. "Hey, kid," she coughed out hoarsely, catching her breath. "Maa, long time no see, eh?" she murmured to her half-brother.

A couple of years after the  _incident_ in which her father died, Kagome's mother decided to move back in with her grandfather, reluctantly leaving her daughter in Konoha with a certain a silver-haired jounin.

Konoha had a different culture than the one Kira grew up with. Children were constantly orphaned, and sometimes lived on their own if there was no family to take care of them.

Kira wanted to take her daughter to Tokyo with her, she truly did. However, Kagome desperately didn't want to leave, and how could Kira strip her daughter from her deserved heritage?

Kagome was the remaining of the fallen Higurashi Clan, and had a duty to follow in her father's footsteps to become a shinobi and to restore the clan. The fates had plans for her daughter, and Konoha was where she should be.

So, when Kagome was old enough to enter the academy and after a talk with a couple of her husband's old friends, Kira decided to return to her duties at her father's shrine, where Kagome would only be able to visit once or twice a year.

Eventually, her grief subsided, and while she would always love her first husband, she decided to remarry. Then, it was only another year until she had Souta.

Unfortunately, Souta's father had died in a car accident three years after his birth.

Kira had yet to remarry since.

"I missed you Sis!"

Chuckling under her breath, she murmured a, "Missed you too," and ruffled her brother's hair, grinning wider at his indignant yelps, before looking up. Her grin turned to a soft smile at the sight of her mother in the doorway.

"Hey, Mama."

* * *

 

"So…" Kira murmured contemplatively, hands gently smoothing across the scroll. "You'll be here from now on?

Kagome gave an outrageous pout coupled with a hurt sniffle. "Sounds like you don't want me here, Mama."

Kira rolled her eyes. "Stop being cheeky," she muttered, shaking her head in amusement. "I'm just confused. What kind of mission would you find  _here_ in Tokyo of all places?"

Kagome shrugged. "Who knows? I was told to follow the scroll to the letter."

"Speaking of which," Kira murmured, eyeing her daughter's appearance skeptically with a hint of exasperation. "What's with the henge?"

Kagome ducked her head, hiding wicked smile. "Maa, it said I had to look the part of a fifteen year old – don't look at me."

Kira snorted in disbelief. "Darling, not many fifteen year olds look like  _that_ ," she commented dryly, eyeing her torso meaningfully.

Kagome tried to keep her expression serious, but nothing could hide the impish glint in her eyes. "Well, if I can't use my abilities in front of people, I figured I might as well take what I can get."

Kira shook her head in amusement, "Careful, though, it might get you more unwanted attention than you bargained for," she warned, before her eyes flickered back down to the scroll and she bit her lip. "Anyway, I… I think I recognize the scroll… and…" she paused, eyes widening. "It  _would_ make sense," she muttered under her breath.

Kagome's eyebrows furrowed. "Er, mind filling me in?"

Kira's eyes flickered to her daughter. "Earlier when you were younger, before you could possibly remember, you showed signs of possessing miko-ki. Your father threw himself into research to find anything he could, in case it reacted negatively with your Seishigan and your other abilities."

With ease, Kagome's eyes shifted, blue orbs shifting into lilac and her pupils tapering into a diamond shape of deep blue before shifting back. "Works fine."

Kira nodded absently. "Which was a relief when we found out. But I recognize this scroll from around that time, and if that is the case, then that could only mean that this mission is about your purification abilities."

Kagome leaned back into the sofa. "I guess that explains why I was sent to the shrine then, and why I'm not allowed to use my shinobi abilities save for training," she mused, before sighing. "Now I just have to wait."

Her mother beamed at her daughter. "Well, it will be lovely to have you here all the same – I've missed you dearly, and I missed out on so much of you growing up," she said brightly as she rolled up the scroll with a snap. "In the meantime, we can take advantage of you being here with sending you to school!"

Kagome froze, paling. "School – you mean  _civilian_ school?" she choked out slowly. "Maa, maa! But – I just graduated the academy! I need to work on my training! I can't fall behind!"

Kira waved her daughter off. "Oh, don't worry so much. You're not a lazy girl – you'll have plenty of time to train after school lets out. Besides, this might be good for you – call it a new experience… to broaden your horizons!"

Kagome pouted, having a feeling that her mother had already decided and there was no way to avoid this. "You just don't want to give me too much time to train so I don't destroy the shrine grounds… I  _said_  last time was an accident!" she whined defensively, "And I  _did_ fix all the holes!"

Kira only smiled benignly. "My dear, I haven't the slightest idea of what you're talking about!"

Kagome deflated, muttering under her breath. " _Yeah, I'm sure…"_

* * *

 

Kagome couldn't put in words how much she despised civilian school. It was pointless, it was boring, and a pain in her ass.

The worse part? The  _math._

 _The. Math_.

Kagome had it in mind that whoever created calculus was a sadistic bastard and did so with the intent on sucking the souls of anyone unlucky enough to learn it.

But, Kagome was strong. She was resilient. She could endure the evil ministrations and soul sucking that was calculus until her mission was done and – _oh, dear Kami – please,_ _ **please**_ _! When will_ _the mission start? The sooner she knew, the sooner she could fini_ _sh it!_

"Sis! Hey, Sis!"

Kagome, half dressed in her school uniform which inspired only disgust at the perverts that were the school officials who created such a thing, looked up at Souta's voice which came from outside.

Shimmying into her skirt before slipping on a pair of skin-tight under armor shorts to protect her dignity as well as her ass from the breeze, Kagome grabbed her shoes and padded barefoot towards the window. Pushing them open, she stuck her head through and searched for her brother.

Her eyebrows furrowed at the sight of him by the well-house. "What's up?"

"It's Buyo!" Souta called out, eyebrows furrowed in worry. "He fell down the well!"

Kagome's head tilted. "Then why aren't you-" She cut herself off at the sight of her half-brother fidgeting nervously, a bit shamefaced.

' _He's… scared?'_

Mentally shaking her head, Kagome climbed out the window, shutting the panels, and leapt down with ease. She jogged over to her brother, smiling fondly at the awe in his eyes. "I'll go rescue the kitty in distress," she told him, ruffling his hair and easily dodging his indignant swipe.  _'Like a 'D' mission, 'cept I don't get paid,'_ she mused wryly.

Souta ducked his head, eyes on the ground. "Be careful – I heard some weird noises," he warned, fidgeting slightly uneasily.

Kagome smiled comfortingly. "Maa, no worries! It's probably just Buyo chasing a mouse or something," she waved off, winking confidently.

Oh, how wrong she was.

* * *

 

Kagome knew demons were real. They weren't the stuff of fairy-tales.

For fuck's sake, there was a whole country named after them, and another that housed them. And besides, she had to have miko-ki for  _some_ reason, right?

But Kagome had never, not once in her life, had ever seen one with her very own eyes.

And now, on her twelfth birthday, she was attacked by some crazy, ugly, beast of a centipede that had hid in the bottom of the well, screaming about some stupid piece of jewelry or what not.

She had five thoughts about this whole thing.

' _Some birthday present_ ,' was number one.

' _At least Buyo got out unscathed,'_ was number two. ' _Stupid cat…'_ was, of course, number three.

' _Why in the hell was a demon sealed in the bottom of a well of all things, and why did no one say anything?'_ was number four.

And number five:  _'No kunai, no shuriken, no weapons at all, and this thing got a grip on me like none other so no ninjutsu at that – I'm screwed if she tries to take a bite out of me!'_

And that was when her hands found purchase on one of the many arms of the centipede and began to glow pink. The aforementioned arm was then riddled into fine dust before she was enveloped in a blue light and vanished from Tokyo, Japan with just one, lingering thought in mind.

' _Well, at least things are getting interesting…'_

* * *

 

The ride into the Feudal Era was a rough one.

As the centipede demon shot out of the well screeching, Kagome landed onto the floor of the well with a grunt, a huge demon bone jabbing right into her ass cheek. Jarred, she blinked at the size of some of the bones before she grumbled and stood up.

It was only when she looked up that she noticed something off.

' _Huh. No roof.'_

Blinking, Kagome dusted herself off. "Did that stupid demon blast off the roof or someth –  _oh fuck_!"

' _The demon! Souta!'_

Not wasting any time, Kagome leapt out of the well, smoothly landing to the ground and into a lazy fighting stance, eyes bright and alert, before she stumbled in blatant shock.

"What. The fuck."

Kagome took in her surroundings.

There was no Souta. There was no demon.

There wasn't even a  _shrine_.

Her environment was composed solely of trees as far as she naturally see: tons and tons of trees that reminded her starkly of the forests outside of Konoha.

"Okay," Kagome breathed out slowly. "This is probably not good."

After a moment of indecision, she decided to tread into the forest, eying a trail of worn grass that lead from the well into the forest.

Feeling no one in the near vicinity watching her, Kagome took to the trees and steadied herself on one of the limbs.

The scroll - her instructions said that she was to keep her status as a nin a secret if she could manage it.

Which meant no leaping from tree branch to tree branch if she could help it. No using her kunai or shuriken, her ninjustu, taijutsu, or genjutsu. Not even her Seishigan; at least, not in front of anybody anyways - and not unless she had no choice otherwise at that.

At first, she figured it was just because most were unaware of ninjas in parts like Tokyo.

However, with the presence of demons and her mother mentioning the her miko-ki having to be the reason behind her father's scroll, Kagome had a feeling that her miko abilities were at the focus of this mission - to find more about them, to explore the possibilities with them - and that her shinobi skill would only interfere with whatever she had to do.

If that was the case, Kagome didn't mind, really; it would be interesting to see what having miko abilities meant – how far she could take it.

She didn't know much, never bothered since there wasn't a reason to when demons weren't really a problem around Konoha. She didn't even know she could do that nifty trick that blew that centipede's arm off until it happened.

Besides, if she wanted to learn more about being a priestess, she would have to leave Konoha, possibly go to Demon Country since that was the only place she knew to find an active priestess, but since she was set on becoming a kunoichi first, that was not going to happen anytime soon.

' _So, I can activate the ki in times of stress, or panic. It's there, I felt the energy.'_ Kagome sighed, annoyed.  _'The only way I know how to ease access to energy is through mediation, and that'_ _s just for chakra. I hate meditating.'_

But now was her chance. Maybe she could even incorporate it into a jutsu.

She just wondered how her father  _knew_ that this would happen.

The Higurashi were strategic mind readers – not glorified fortune tellers. They couldn't predict the future.

But maybe he didn't  _know_. Maybe he suspected. Maybe he heard or saw a prophecy.

Who knew?

Kagome had her mission either way – she just needed to know what it was.

Without another thought, she leapt to another branch, and another, following where the worn path would take her.

Hopefully she'd get some answers as to where the hell she was.

 

_Words- 2,193_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, Kagome's 'mission' begins lol. It may seem fast-paced – probably cause it is. I want to get back to Konoha asap, lol.
> 
> Which is why I'm not going into detail about the Feudal Era. The next chapter will be the last, since I never planned on changing much, but after that it's back to Konoha, Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi! XD


	8. Displaced

When Kagome finally spotted a hint of color in the mass of brown and green, not too far from the well she left behind, she froze immediately out of instinct.

She clung to the shadows, waiting for movement, but there wasn't any.

After a moment, she ventured closer, and closer, wary, until she was at a small clearing across from a tree that buzzed with energy.

It took her a moment, but Kagome realized that it was the same energy as the Goshinboku – the tree outside her shrine.

Only… smaller.

And, apparently, with a person stuck to it with an arrow in his heart.

' _Well, you don't see_ _ **that**_ _everyday…'_ Kagome mused, staring at the boy who looked about in his teens and was dressed in matching red haori and hakamas. If it wasn't for the arrow stuck through his chest, she'd think he was just sleeping from the peaceful look to his face.

But, Kagome had a feeling he wasn't dead. For one, there wasn't any blood around the wound. And two, he certainly didn't  _look_ or  _smell_ dead.

The boy's skin had normal coloring and he didn't look stiff – if anything, it looked as if he was perfectly preserved.

' _Maybe… a jutsu? Could there be ninjas here? But, then, what's with the arrow?'_

Upon closer inspection, Kagome made a startling discovery that made her fingers twitch.

Dog ears.

' _Now that I think of it – he does kind of remind me of Kiba…'_ she mused wryly.  _'Looks so fluffy, too…'_

Spying some roots near the ground, Kagome grinned.

"Ah, what the hell," she muttered, and climbed the roots.

' _Maybe this is why Kiba doesn't let me near Akamaru anymore…'_ Mentally sniggering, Kagome reached out and sighed happily as her fingers met soft, downy, fur.  _'Maybe I do have a puppy ear fetish after all…'_

"Hey – you there! What are you doing!"

The yell, angry and accusing, startled Kagome. She yelped as her feet slipped from under, and she crashed to the ground, landing on her ass, and before she knew it, they were on her.

* * *

 

' _Damn stupid rules…'_ Kagome muttered as she was pushed and shoved along the path, her arms splayed to her sides as rope bounded her together. "Be  _gentle_ , ass," she hissed.

"Shut it, witch!" one of the men harshly snapped from behind her.

Kagome twitched.  _'One jutsu – one stupid jutsu, and I could be out of these damned ropes. But nooo –_ _gotta act like a civilian_ _.'_

After five painful minutes of being shoved, Kagome finally arrived at a –

' _A village?'_ Kagome thought, confused as she took in the huts. ' _But… it looks so… outdated…'_

"Where the hell am I…?" Kagome muttered under her breath.

"Who have ye brought me?"

Kagome looked up at the voice, strong but aged. And the language – old Japanese.

Before her was an old woman, old and robust with a patch over one of her eyes. A bow and a quiver of arrows were slung across her back, and she was wearing a white haori and red hakamas.

"We found this strange wench in the forest – she was by the half-demon," one of the men explained.

Kagome's eyes widened.  _'That was - a half demon? But… how? Did I somehow get transported to Demon or Dark Country?_ _How did I get back behind shinobi borders?_ _'_

"She was on him, doing something – a ritual maybe. Look at what she's wearing – we thought she was a witch was going to wake him up!"

' _And_ _that boy -_ _he's not_ _so_ _dead after all… Makes sense – it isn't easy to kill a demon. If they're too strong,_ _I heard_ _they get sealed._ ' Kagome thought, filing that bit of information away before she finally spoke up. "Maa, maa - I thought he was dead," she interjected. "I didn't know he was asleep."

The man sneered, as if just with words she could curse him or something. "Do not speak witch!"

Well, forget trying to smooth things over then. "And I'm not a  _witch_  either, so stop looking at me like I'm diseased," she snapped, annoyed.

Kagome could see the woman's lips twitch slightly, before she became serious again. "Then what  _were_ ye doing in that forest, child? Who are ye, and… what are ye wearing?"

Happy to speak to someone rational, Kagome answered. "I was actually following the path from that well. Something… attacked me, and brought me here. I was lost." And Kagome then twitched. "As for what I'm wearing – they're  _clothes_. A uniform, nothing special," she said, looking at the man who was holding her like he was stupid. "Anyways, where am I exactly?"

"…Right," the old woman murmured skeptically. "I am Kaede, child. This is the village, Edo."

Kagome froze, recognizing that name from one of the classes she was taking at that civilian school.

' _Edo? Holy shit. That's what Tokyo use to be called five hundred years ago…'_

Kagome swallowed thickly.

' _I'm – I'm in the_ _ **past**_ _!"_

* * *

 

"Would you hurry the fuck up?"

Kagome twitched, looking up from the river. "Could you shut up? You're being annoying!"

"And you're an ugly bitch!"

Up in the trees was the demon – half-demon actually – known as Inuyasha.

Just mere moments after Kagome discovered her misplacement in time and she was released from the ropes binding her, the centipede came back in a rage, screaming about not only the jewel but for revenge for her missing arm.

Kagome didn't feel bad in the slightest about that, since it was the reason she was in this predicament in the first place.

In an attempt to lead the demon away from the village and the villagers, Kagome took to the forest so she could fight with her ninjutsu away from prying eyes.

However, Kagome underestimated the demon's speed. It caught up quickly, slamming into her and catapulting her into the Goshinboku and Inuyasha, before wrapping around her and pinning her down.

As the demon demanded the jewel through threat of death, Kagome broke the spell on the half-demon, and seeing no other way to defeat the demon without revealing what she really was, she yanked the arrow out at Inuyasha's suggestion and against Kaede's protests.

It all went downhill from there.

Apparently, there  _was_ a jewel – inside her body.

While Inuyasha managed to get them loose, Kagome was the one who killed the centipede demon when it went after her again in an impromptu blast of miko ki – but not before it sliced at her waist, removing the jewel from her body and eating it.

And then, it was Inuyasha that was after the jewel.

But, luckily for Kagome, Kaede had a trick up her sleeve.

Slowly, Kagome turned, laundry still in hand and an evil, wicked smirk on her face.

Inuyasha stiffened, recognizing trouble when he saw it; but, as he opened his mouth to protest, Kagome sweetly drawled out two, amazingly wonderful words and the only thing holding Inuyasha back from trying to kill her.

" _Sit boy."_

It was with sadistic pleasure that Kagome watched the half-demon plummet from his perch on the branches and into a five-foot self-made hole in the ground.

If only she could solve all her problems so easily…

Oh, and did she forget she was actually the reincarnation of a priestess that died fifty years ago from that time and was the one who pinned Inuyasha to the Goshinkboku in the first place?

Well, she was.

* * *

 

It was that same day that a crow demon attacked and went for the jewel.

Inuyasha, equipped with only his claws, was ill-matched for the flying demon, especially when it gotten ahold of the jewel in question.

After a bit of accusation and arguing, Kaede shoved a bow and arrow into Kagome's hands and somehow the kunoichi found her way on the half-demon's back.

"Maa – I don't know  _how_ to shoot a bow!" Kagome protested over the roar of the wind as Inuyasha chased after the crow demon.

"Just try it, damn it! Kikyo always knew how to shoot it!"

"I'm not Kikyo, you idiot!" And just for the hell of it, Kagome's arms tightened around Inuyasha's neck, making him cough and stumble. "For a demon with enhanced sense, you sure suck at seeing! Or do you seriously think that just because I'm her 'reincarnation' that her archery skills would magically pass themselves down to me?" she drawled sarcastically.

"Kikyo wasn't so violent either…" Kagome heard him mutter under his breath, completely ignoring her other question.

"Considering the fact that she  _shot you with an arrow charge with miko ki_ , I somehow  _doubt_ that," she shot back smugly.

"…Just shaddup and aim."

* * *

 

When, after multiple tries, a couple of insults, and mildly surmounting embarrassment coupled with irritation, one of her arrows pierced through the demonic crow; when it hit the Shikon no Tama, when that stupid jewel that fell from her body shattered into itty bitty pieces, Kagome couldn't help but moan in horrified realization as an ominous feeling washed over her.

Well, now she knew what her mission was.

Furtively, Kagome tried to look on the bright side.

' _At least this means less calculus classes…'_

* * *

 

It would be no less than one year to that day that her mission would finally come to an end. One year until she'd set eyes on Konoha once again. A whole year since she saw or spoke to Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, and everyone she left behind.

One, long, terrible, difficult, and turbulent year until the search for the jewel ended; until, after so much trouble, training, and heart-wrenching struggling and betrayal, that they'd finally defeat Naraku.

And after everything that happened, Kagome had little trouble turning back and jumping down that damnable well, never to return to that time ever again.

* * *

 

"I'm sorry," Kagome breathed out gently, eyes shut in regret. "As much as I wish I could stay with you, I can't. I'm so sorry, Shippo…"

Shippo sniffled, and tightened his hold on Kagome's neck. "I know," he mumbled reluctantly. "You have to go back home and be a ninja again," he said quietly so no one else would hear.

And no one did, save for one – but it didn't matter, as Sesshomaru already knew as well.

Not much escaped the taiyoukai, if anything at all.

So it was with remorseful whispers of apologies that Kagome pried the young kitsune from her person. Kagome gave Sango a tearful hug, a small peck on the cheek for Miroku, letting him slide with a grope to her backside for old time's sake, a snug hug for Rin, and at last, a bow to the taiyoukai.

As Kagome was bent at the waist, Sesshomaru stared down at the miko, expression stoic. "Rise," he murmured smoothly for her ears only, and watched as she did so. He took a step forward, arm rising, and elegantly picking up one of two chains around her neck. Letting the chain run delicately along his fingers, he paused at the pendant that hung proudly in the center.

Golden eyes flickered up, locking with Kagome's own darkened blue. "Stay safe, miko," he rumbled, his thumb tracing the outer edge of the Prussian blue crescent in his grasp.

A smile twitched its way on her face – it was the closest thing she would get to an affectionate gesture with all the others gathered around. "I'll miss you too," she cooed cheekily, unable to help herself as she winked at him.

Sesshomaru allowed a hint of emotion flicker in his eyes, just to convey his exasperation at her teasing, and he let his family's crest slip from his fingers to drop onto her chest as he pulled away. "Hn."

His eyes narrowed at the girl's slight mocking mutter of  _"So eloquent,"_ but let it slide. "Do not die," he added languidly, but the edge to his drawl underlined the order in his words.

Kagome blinked, before she grinned. "Same goes for you," she shot back, laughing when he only lifted his eyebrow in what could only be seen as an sophisticated and silent way of saying,  _'As if that is possible.'_

Shaking her head, Kagome finally approached the well. For a moment, she stared, daunted, before she climbed. Perched on the well, she waved her friends farewell once more, before she stared into the leaves of a tree across the clearing, eyes unreadable as a hand crept up to absently rub at her hip. Only two caught the way her head dipped in a tiny nod.

Without further ado, she pushed off the lip of the well and descended into the darkness. There was a flash of light, and she was gone, vanished, as if she was never there in the first place.

Feet away, Sesshomaru stared at the well impassively, watched with a face devoid of any emotion as the miko-kunoichi he'd come to know, to take under his tutelage and train, maybe even to care for, leapt into her present – the future.

As a breeze whistled by, it carried a whisper indecipherable to all save the one who uttered it.

" _Until we meet again, Higurashi Kagome …"_

And with that, he turned on his heel, languidly walking away with Rin skipping after him.

* * *

 

On the other side of the clearing, perched on the branches of one of the many surrounding trees, amber eyes swirling with regret watched as one of the few people who accepted him for who he was departed into another time.

 

_Words- 2,240_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the Feudal Era is finished – and it only took two chapters, lol. A couple more and it'll be back to Konoha. Yosh! XD
> 
> As you can see, I've shifted the relationships a little – I figured, different past, different personality, and so, she's not going to necessarily act the same. Hence the eagerness to get the hell out of there, lol. But, I'll get into all of that later ^^


	9. Reminisce

' _Everything… Everything has turned into a complete clusterfuck…'_

The worn path was vacant save for the four travelers and pig who leisurely trudged along it.

One in particular stood out like a glaring, neon, flashing sign with his bright blond hair and his loud orange and blue jumpsuit.

Azure eyes strayed to the sky that resembled them so much in hue.

' _The Third is dead.'_

That. That was the biggest kicker there was – the strongest slam to the gut.

The Third had been, well, the  _Third_ for so long – since long before he could remember. He was ancient, sure, but he was one of those people that you just figured would live  _forever_. The possibility, the mere thought that he was human – that he was just as susceptible to death as anyone else – was simply unfathomable.

And yet, it was true – it was fact.

And it  _seriously_  sucked.

' _Sasuke-teme's life is practically spinning down the shitter.'_

Another serious cause for concern. As if getting the 'hickey' from the Hebi-teme wasn't bad enough, Sasuke got his ass handed to him on a silver platter by the one person he sought to surpass, defeat, and kill for revenge.

Sasuke was already having serious issues, what with the curse mark. Itachi's visits just made it so much worse, causing damage that could nearly be irreparable to his mind.

Sasuke was already so bent on revenge that this was a serious cause for concern – it could very well be the trigger that sends him down a dark path that he might not be able to return from. The fact that the Hebi-teme was out to get Sasuke, out to entice him with power that he could use to defeat Itachi, did not help.

Naruto's eyes flittered to the other blonde member of their little ragtag troupe donning a green cloak. Long hair parted into two pigtails, mocha brown eyes, a small diamond marking on her forehead, and a chest any man would die for, Tsunade Senju was one of the legendary Sannin – the Slug-princess who looked half her age and had a mean right hook that could literally kill a person, never mind turn their head into mush.

Pretty she may be, but she was  _scary_.

' _Baa-chan, a serious drunk, ex-hemophobic medic-nin, and gambling addict with debts that could make a dent in even the richest Daimyo's vault, is going to be the next Hokage.'_

Naruto silently groaned, eyes shutting.

If Konoha wasn't already fucked…

' _But… the past is the past. She's already proven herself after that fight with Oro-teme, and that's what matters…'_

Maybe, she just might turn out right for the job.

Maybe.

A breeze blew by, ruffling the golden strands of his hair, and his eyes gave and uncharacteristic lazy blink before steering towards the only other male of the group.

Jiraiya, another member of the legendary Sannin who sported red markings along his face and a custom stone hitai-ate upon his forehead, walked with a confident step despite his eyes on something other than the path before him; one hand held out a book as the other wielded a brush. His long, unruly white hair swayed with his every step.

Naruto watched bemusedly as the man's dark eyes glinted almost giddily, lips twitching into a familiar grin as he began to jot something down. Then, the man giggled almost obnoxiously.

It was nothing else, if not perverted…

Naruto sighed and turned his gaze ahead of him, down the path laid in front of them leading to Konoha.

A chill crawled down his spine, unbidden and a troubled frown found its way on Naruto's face, filled with uncertainty.

' _I feel…'_  he thought tensely, and shook his head.  _'I don't like this feeling… like… like something bad is about to happen… that something is going to go wrong…'_

Naruto's fists clenched, and not for the first time he thought back to dark blue eyes that had haunted him – taunted him - constantly for the last year.

And yet, as the days, weeks, and the months passed, he found himself thinking of  _ **her**_  less and less, which only made his heart pang more when he did.

The worse were the times where he wondered if she'd  _ever_ come back… if she was even still  _alive_ …

What kind of a mission takes so long to complete?

' _Kami, I miss you Kagome… damn it, if there was any time we need you, it's now…'_

Naruto sighed tiredly, rubbing his cheek with his palm. Rationally, he knew her presence here wouldn't have stopped Orochimaru from attacking, or the Third dying.

However, Kagome would know how to help Sasuke – she always did. Kagome always had a knack of calming those around her, and she was really the only one who could keep Sasuke's mind off of revenge – through advice, encouragement, teasing, or even playful pranks.

He… he had an unusual relationship with the Uchiha… a rivalry between 'frenemies' turned friendly rivalry; at least, until recently anyways. He wasn't sure he could do much help anymore, not after Orochimaru.

Especially not after Itachi…

And, besides…

" _Maa, maa, Naruto! Forget them – they're just idiots! And jealous too since it's sooo obvious you're a shoo-in for Hokage when you're old enough!"_

Naruto relaxed, lips curling into a soft smile at the fond memory; Kagome also had a knack for cheering up the people around her, or more specifically, a knack of making sure he never got too down when he overheard the hateful whispers or saw the cold looks.

' _I need you…'_

Naruto breathed out a longing sigh when, suddenly, his head snapped to the side to see Jiraiya trip over a rock he overlooked.

Laughter echoed around them at the sight of the notorious Toad-Sennin sprawled among the ground spread eagle. Tsunade hid a small grin behind a manicured hand, chuckling slyly while Shizune giggled, hugging a slightly squealing TonTon. Naruto himself was bent at the waist, arms curling around his stomach, chortling with glee.

But one thought still lingered in his mind.

' _I just really miss my best friend right now.'_

* * *

 

And with just one more storage scroll slipped into her pack, Kagome closed it, and threw herself across her bed.

A small chuckle had Kagome rolling over to see her mother leaning against her doorframe. "I see you're all ready to go."

With a fleeting glance towards her bag, she nodded slowly. "Yeah," she breathed out in reply. "I won't leave yet – not until tomorrow…"

A sad sigh passed Kira's lips, and she pushed away from the frame and entered her daughter's room. "I just wish you weren't leaving so soon," she admitted, sitting beside Kagome and pulling her into a one-armed hug. "You've only just finished," she murmured, pressing a kiss the crown of her head.

"I know," Kagome mumbled, gaze downcast.

"Ah, but I know you've missed Konoha dearly," her mother sighed, offering her daughter a small, reluctant, but accepting smile.

Kagome returned her mother's smile with a weak one of her own. "I really do," she said honestly, remembering silver, gravity defying hair, bright blue eyes, and a dark, deep gaze.  _'I miss you guys so much…'_  "But you know I'll miss you too, when I'm gone."

Her daughter's words warmed Kira's heart. Leaving her daughter was one of the hardest things she ever had to do, and in the back of her mind, she had always worried if her daughter resented the fact that she left when her father took ill; resented the fact that while she took over the shrine she found someone and moved on, remarried, and had another child.

However, she knew it was her daughter's dream to become a great kunoichi and bring honor to her late husband's clan. It wouldn't be right to strip her daughter of her rightful heritage. Tokyo and civilian school was no place for her daughter whose blood yearned for adventure.

"And I'll miss you as well," Kira whispered softly, threading her fingers through Kagome's dark tresses and running them through gently. "You know, you never talk about what happened in the Feudal Era," she remarked mildly.

A troubled frown found its way on the girl's face. "I don't like to talk about it…"

Kira peered at her young teen, but eventually gave acquiescent sigh, unwilling to force the issue. "Well then, promise me you will talk to someone eventually," she requested, giving a comforting squeeze.

Reluctantly, Kagome nodded. "I will."

Kira leaned down, pressing a kiss to Kagome's forehead before she stood to leave. "Be safe as always, love. And give Kakashi my best and my thanks." A rue smile spread across her face. "He's done well, raising you," she murmured.

Kagome grinned at the thought of her unorthodox caretaker – the ex-ANBU slash glorified babysitter didn't so much as raise her as he did hang reading his smut just to make sure she didn't kill herself practicing one of the jutsu scrolls he'd tossed her way.

Though, Kagome could admit fondly, he did have his moments of rare guidance and protectiveness – whether it be in training, or in everyday life.

—  _Kagome squealed as a hand grasped the back of her shirt, lifting her up with ease; Naruto yelped when the same happened to him._

_It was with a sheepish gaze that Kagome met Kakashi's own dry one. "Causing trouble again?"_

_Naruto, who had no shame, only grinned proudly. "Ah, that guy was an ass Kakashi! He deserved it!"_

_Kagome however pouted. "It was just a harmless prank – that guy – he tried to cheat Naru out of money, and when I called him out, he called us names and kicked us out!"_

_Kakashi's one eye glinted darkly, but it shifted into its usual happy curve so fast that Kagome thought she had imagined it. "Ah, well, when you put it like that."_

_Gently, Kakashi let the two of them down, and patted their heads fondly. "Some words of advice – when it comes to traps, always keep in mind to not get caught in the process of setting things up; make sure you dispose of any incriminating evidence; and if you can't help but stick around to watch, remain out of the immediate vicinity. Binoculars might be a good investment," he lectured, before gently patting their backs. "Now, run along before you get caught."_

_Sharing grins, Naruto and Kagome sprinted down the road, turning into a nearby alley. Just before they were out of hearing distance, they heard the storeowner shouting. "Hey, you, Shinobi-san! Did you see a pair of kids run by here? Blond shrimp and a dark-haired little girl?"_

_The pair cackled at Kakashi's answer._

" _Hmm? Two little kids? Nope, can't say that I did." —_

"I'm sure he'll appreciate knowing his babysitting skills are up to par," Kagome remarked cheekily.

Kira shook her head, laughing softly as she left.

Yes, she would miss her daughter dearly, but she was confident that her Kagome was in good hands.

* * *

 

The next morning, at the base of the shrine steps, Kagome looked up to the three figures standing at the top, still waving down at her.

With a grin, Kagome waved back before she turned to embark on her journey.

There were times during her mission that Kagome felt guilty when she was unable to call the shrine home.

But, as the saying goes, home is where the heart is.

Her heart was with the cheerful, one-eyed glance of Kakashi's, the wide, silly grin of Naruto's, the amused smirk of Sasuke's, the fond look of the Sandaime's…

Her heart was in Konoha, and she couldn't wait until she got back.

First though – she had a boat to catch.

 

_Words- 1,944_


	10. Interlude: Once Upon a Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by "October Tenth" by Taisi on FanFiction.net. It's a very good read and I recommend it! It's rather sad though, but that's sorta what got me in the mood to write this chapter lol.

_Once upon a time there was a boy._

_Alone, he grew up._

_He had no family. No loving glances, no sweet words of comforts, no hugs or kisses on the forehead. No pats on the head, or praises of pride._

_Nothing like what he saw the other kids receive._

_No. Instead, he received glares of hatred and scorn. Muttered insults and whispered slurs — obviously not meant for his ears but reaching them anyway — that scathed and confused him. Scowls of disgust that hurt him. Faces twisted with anger and abhorrence. Pointed ignorance. Outright avoidance from the children he was so desperate to play and make friends with._

_The worse were the_ _**look –** _ _t_ _hose icy eyes that bored into his soul and chilled him to the bone with their absolute disgust, hatred,_ _and_ _contempt._

_Very few reached out. Very, very few, and only when those with the icy eyes went after him (sometimes, they even came in groups), for a reason beyond his imagination, with violent intent and vehemence in their glares._

_Those that did help him were hidden behind masks, done only because of duty — to stop the hatred from going too far, to remind (though he didn't know it) them of the consequences._

_There were even less that didn't look upon him with hatred – that went out of their way to treat him with kindness. The Sandaime Hokage, who visited him every once in a while. The cook and his daughter at the ramen stall that served the most delicious food on the planet – the food of Kings!_

_It soothed the pain; the hurt. But it wasn't enough. It wasn't nearly enough._

_For so long, he wondered why. Why? Why him? Whywhywhywhy?_

_It ran through his mind, racing and pulsing and festering._

'What did I do? What's wrong with me? Why am I so alone?'

_Until he just didn't care anymore._

_But then, he realized…_

_It was an accident. He didn't mean to, really. He tripped._

_He didn't mean to stumble and knock into the stand of tomatoes; he didn't mean for them to fall and spill, where people tripped over and smashed them, the red fruit getting everywhere._

_But it made him laugh; the faces were erased of the loathing and replaced with a composition of shock. It bubbled in his gut, climbing up his throat, spilling from his lips._

_And it made others laugh too!_

_Until they saw it was him, and yelled and started chasing him…_

_But, for just a moment, the hatred, the_ _**icy gl** _ _**ares** _ _were gone, vanished, banished from sight._

_From a prank._

_He made people laugh. And when he was chased, they were angry, but he wasn't_ _**ignored** _ _._

_So, under the weight of hatred, he grinned, and plotted, and acted._

_So they wouldn't look at him and_ _**see** _ _him then?_

_Then he'd_ _**make** _ _them acknowledge him. Somehow, someway, in any capacity._

_Pranks were just a good a way as any, and awesome to boot._

* * *

 

_Once upon a time, there was a girl._

_With confliction, she grew up._

_She was loved, let that not be mistaken, but she was also… loathed. Feared. Secluded._

_One would figure that the heiress of a clan would be treated with love, kindness, and respect._

_Not her. Not the heiress to a dying clan._

_(The Kyuubi attack years ago all but demolished the once prestigious clan. Not many were left, and those that were, were splintered. It would never be whole, not for a long time, if ever.)_

_Her mother and father were her source of solace, as well as some of the other members of her clan._

_She would never understand why, while her parents, and her grandparents, and some of her relatives as well as other clan members treated her decently, others disguised their distaste and dislike with cold dismissal._

_Why hurtful whispers came from those she considered_ _**family** _ _, why_ _stinging taunts came from her uncle._

_Not until much later, when she was older._

(Weak. You're weak. Get up girl. Do you want to be seen as a disgrace to the clan? You'll never amount to anything. This clan needs a leader that will make it rise back to what it once was. A shame that  **you** are the heiress to this clan – you'll only lead it to ruin with that lack of talent of yours.)

_But she persevered. She got back up, resolved herself to get better. She allowed herself to be pushed – used the taunts as motivation, used it to drive her. She would be strong – nothing would stop her. She would make her clan proud, do whatever it took (but it was never enough; never, ever enough, no matter what she did, no matter how she succeeded. it seemed grasping the elements like a fish took to water only made it worse)._

_Nothing seemed to work._

_(Daddy called her a prodigy, to be able to go so far in the training of the elements, to be able to even manage some of the minor ninjutsu of a few, so young, but was she really? Getting stronger only seemed to push them away, only seemed to fortify the disdain, increase the fear, further the seclusion. Why, when she was only doing what she supposed to be doing?)_

_And then they were gone._

_Rumors razed, but no one,_ _**no one** _ _outside the clan ever expected the civil war that broke out._

( _Flames devouring, burning; scorch marks littering the ground; gouges in the ground, trees sliced in halves; puddles lingering, wetness clinging; mounds of earth, chunks of rocks in the middle of man-made craters. Attacks flew everywhere in a confusion and flurry of elemental ninjustu, along with kunai and shuriken, all in the fray of chaos. Disaster and destruction and bodies lying everywhere. And her father – oh, Kami, her_ _father_ _!_ Daddy! Daddy! Wake up! Why won't you wake up!  _A heart wrenching sob._ Please!  _ **Daddy**_ _!)_

_As she wallowed in the grief, the guilt, the loss, and the pain, whispers –_ Gods, didn't they realize she could  _hear_ them? –  _circuited around her incessantly, angering her as well as saddening her, sending her to spiral even deeper into her depression._

_In the stead of those glares of despise were now the lingering stares of pity._

_(She'd take the hateful stares and the hurtful taunts in their place any day. If only to have Daddy's soft, loving gaze rest upon her once more; if only to have the district bustle as it once did before.)_

_But they were gone. They were gone, and her clan was nothing but her mother and herself._

_No matter. She was going to be an heiress that the clan would be proud of – that her father would be proud of._

_(She just wished her dad was there to see her.)_

_The Higurashis would rise once again. She would see to it._

* * *

 

_Once upon a time, the boy came across the girl._

_It was at a park, deserted as dusk threatened to darken the sky._

_But there she was. Alone. Swaying idly on the swings, her feet toeing the sand lazily._

Where,  _he wondered,_ are her parents? Her friends?

_Hope flickered at the pit of his gut –_ is she alone like me?  _– before he quashed it as quick as it came._

_He would never wish the same fate as him on anyone else._

_So he meandered closer, as it was on his way back to his empty apartment, intent on just passing by._

_Surely, like all the others, she wouldn't come near him either._

_Why bother trying?_

_But as he came closer, the sound of his footsteps must have caught her attention for she looked up._

_Naruto's steps faltered as their eyes locked, recognizing the haunted look in the girl's eyes as one similar to his own._

_Kagome stiffened as she recognized the withdrawn look in the boy's eyes as one similar to her own._

_Loneliness battled in both their eyes; hers mingled with hurt, grief, and loss which pained him; his mingled with longing, confusion, and a different kind of hurt which pained her._

_And then, to Naruto's shock, the girl offered a tentative, shaky smile – so kind, sweet, kinda broken, but it was a_ _**smile** _ _–_ _and followed up with a_ _lame wave._

_Naruto just froze on the spot, eyes widening, and when the smile faltered – no, no, don't go away! – he awkwardly waved back, struck dumb._

_And the smile returned, brighter than before, and the girl straightened, sending a fleeting look to the empty swing beside her before returning to him._

_Naruto's mind sputtered to a standstill at the sight, confused and a little suspicious all in one – because it wasn't the first time someone offered to play, only to turn out to be an asshole that thought they could bully him, but he didn't stand for it then of course so he kicked their asses (well, sort of. he was scrawny but he was a scrapper and he gave as good as he go, dattebayo!) – but she was a girl, and she had a look that was sort of kinda the same as his, so maybe she wasn't so bad?_

_So he veered off the path, feet padding onto the sand, making way towards the swing set. Eyes staying on her the whole time, which was unnerving because her own eyes were watching his own like a hawk, never wavering, and he apprehensively sat on the swing set._

_And then, she looked away, kicked at the ground a little so she swung a bit. He did the same, not knowing what else to do._

" _Hi." The voice was soft, shy, but kinda sweet sounding. Tinkling. Like bells._

_Naruto grinned slightly at it, and when the girl peered over at him, her lips quirked, unbidden._

_He had a grin that made her want to smile too._

" _Hi!" Naruto chirped back, confidence boosted at her faint initiation of a conversation. "My name's Naruto, dattebayo! What's yours?"_

_His voice, so bright and cheery that, in the light of his obvious anguish, made her spirits lift._

_She blinked dark blue eyes at him, and they crinkled at him as she grinned at him in return. "I'm Kagome!"_

_They were both lonely._

_But who said they couldn't be lonely together?_

_  
_ _Words- 1,703_


	11. Interference

"Pass?"

Rummaging through her things, the young girl standing before the gate entrance desk pulled out a small set of bound papers and handed them over, before pushing back the hood of her dark beige cloak. "Higurashi Kagome. Genin. Id 328574K."

"Well, well, if it isn't Chibi!" one of the guards drawled wryly, letting his partner check over the papers. "Where've you been?"

Kagome, rolling her eyes at the old nickname, grinned. "Around," she said vaguely, easily recognizing the men as old friends of Kakashi's, and more specifically, two of the many people he used to dump the responsibility of watching her on whenever he had a mission outside of the village. Kagome grinned wider at the man's playful scowl, which the senbon only made look even more ridiculous. "Maa, Genma, whose puppy did you kill to get such a shitty job, hmm? Isn't gate duty for chuunin?"

Genma Shiranui was a tokubetsu jounin who happened to be just one of Konoha's many unique individuals and enjoyed toying with danger, if the senbon dangling from his lips – a signature look for the man – was anything to go by.

The brunet merely smirked at Kagome's remark, and flicked his senbon to occupy the other corner of his lips. "Is it a shitty job, or an  _easy_ job?" he shot back smoothly.

Kagome snorted, shaking her head. "So you requested it?" she asked needlessly, finding her answer to be a smug grin. "You're ridiculous.

Genma chuckled lightly and elbowed his partner. "Hey, hey Raidou, your remember Chibi, don't you?"

Raidou Namiashi was also a tokubetsu jounin, known for his trademark blade, the Kokutou, and the wheat-like scar running over the bridge of his nose to his left cheek.

The man sighed as he finished looking over the papers, closing the booklet before pushing it away so he could offer the young girl a weary smile. "I do. Hello Kagome, how was your trip? Kakashi mentioned you were off training at your mother's shrine," he inquired politely.

Kagome offered a vague, thoughtful hum. "Interesting, to say the least." Changing the subject, Kagome leaned closer to Raidou's scarred face, grinning as she playfully covered the side of her face and lips. "I bet it's times like these you regret partnering up with that idiot, eh?" she whispered loudly, jabbing in thumb in Genma's direction.

"Oi!" Genma said loudly. "I heard that!"

Raidou's lips twitched, and he merely rolled his dark eyes. "The jounin were asked to help out a bit, and Genma jumped at gate duty since he's been feeling lazy lately," he explained, understandably exasperated, and Kagome couldn't help but snicker when Raidou leaned back at the very last second to narrowly dodge the senbon Genma spat in his direction.

Raidou grinned a little. "Things around the village are still a bit hectic so we're somewhat short of people on hand. It's only until a permanent roster can be produced, thankfully."

Kagome leaned back, head cocking in confusion. "Hectic? From what?"

The two tokubetsu jounin shared a look, as if suddenly realizing something, and the Genma sobered, becoming seriously melancholy.

"You've… missed a lot the past year," Raidou said hesitantly. "Orochimaru, one of the Sannin and Konoha missing nin led an attack against us during the chunnin exams with his new village, the Sound, and tricked Suna into helping. We lost some good people," he murmured, and bowed his head.

Kagome went pale. "Oh, gods…" she breathed out, fists clenching unconsciously. "That  _bastard!_ " she hissed.

"The casualties could have been worse. Jiraiya-sama, Orochimari's teammate, was here when the attack was initiated. His toads were a big help against the snakes," Raidou continued quietly.

"The genin were a big help too," Genma added, another senbon already in place of the one he previously spat out. "Heard one of Kakashi's kid, Uzumaki, took out the Sand's top genin. Not many realize it, but… he saved a lot of lives…"

"Naruto!" Kagome gasped. "They're all fine, right? Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke?"

Raidou and Genma shared another look, before the former answered. "Yes, they're alive. Uzumaki just got back from a mission, actually. They're probably at the Hospital if you want to find them. You should probably check in with the, er, Hokage soon…" he trailed off awkwardly as his eyes widened suddenly, just as Kagome quickly swept her things into her bag.

"The hospital? Who got hurt?" she asked quickly, worried and already swinging her pack onto her shoulders and completely missing Raidou's slip at the end.

"The Uchiha," Genma supplied helpfully, "He'll be fine though, just was a little roughed up. Itachi paid a visit and—"

Genma never got to finish, because as soon as Kagome heard him say "Itachi," she started cursing loudly and took off. A faint, "Thanks Genma, thanks Raidou!" echoed after she kicked up a dust cloud as she took to the roofs.

"—and never mind," Genma muttered dryly, leaning back into his chair. Raidou snorted lightly, lips twitching slightly, before frowning in contemplation.

At that, Genma looked over at his partner. "You never mentioned the Hokage," he commented quietly.

Raidou sighed, and shook his head. "Figured I'd better let Kakashi handle that one, you know? Hear it from someone close."

"Yeah." Genma nodded lightly and spat out his senbon, letting it split the wood of the desk slightly. "Yeah, I know…"

* * *

 

It was a beautiful day as a cacophony of metal clashing with metal echoed sharply, accompanied by the slaps of flesh hitting flesh and explosions of jutsu.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

Atop Konoha's Hospital Roof stood three genin, surrounded by the water towers within the fenced-in vicinity.

One faced another while the last stood to the sidelines, watching and fretting.

Naruto, who had been the one to shout angrily earlier, glared at his teammate, his  _friend_ , only to leap to the side when he received a kunai for his efforts. It missed him by a few inches, digging into the concrete where he once stood.

Languidly, Sasuke dug into one of his pouches, slipping out three shuriken in between his fingertips. "I'm fighting you, dobe – what does it look like?" he said calmly, voice cold. He flicked his hand, sending the shuriken flying.

Naruto flipped back, dodging them as he stared at Sasuke incredulously. "B-but  _why_?" His voice faltered, confused, hurt, and indignant.

For some reason, that only made Sasuke angrier. "Fight back, damn you!" he demanded, ignoring his question as he launched himself at the boy, fist cocked back.

"Sasuke, just fucking stop this already!" Naruto shouted at him, panting harshly. He threw his arm up, maneuvering it, blocking the volley of punches his teammate threw at him. Block. Block. Counter-punch. Dodge. Block. Duck. "What the hell is your problem!" he demanded as he caught Sasuke's fist, throwing it to the side and swinging low to miss being hit by the other one.

Sasuke sneered at him and struck out with his leg, easily checking the punch aimed low at his waist. "You." His reply was said with no room for mistake – it was even, dark, callous, and most of all, it was final.

Naruto paused to gape and it cost him; he brought up his arm too slowly, leaving his face open for Sasuke to slam his fist against it. Naruto stumbled back, stunned, and choked as a foot buried itself sharply into his gut within the next second.

Naruto stumbled back from the force, the foot removing itself, only to be hit with another kick, and then another. The last kick was executed with additional force and it sent him flying a few feet back; had him rasping for air. He landed on the concrete roughly, body rolling listlessly until he ran out of momentum.

Naruto gasped as he tried to catch his breath, his hands finding the ground, the stability, and he wasted no time pushing himself up. He stumbled as he got to his feet, body tensing, arms rising in a weak defensive stance out of reflex, as if preparing for the next hit – but it never came. Naruto looked up, azure eyes searching, and found Sasuke standing across from him, waiting and in stance.

"Take me seriously," Sasuke bit out at him, practically snarling as his face contorted with blazing, unchecked rage. "Or die."

All breath left Naruto's lungs in a whoosh. "This isn't a spar," he breathed out, dazed. "What the hell are you trying to  _do_ Sasuke! The hell are you getting at?" he asked frantically, denial churning in his gut, knowing what was happening but not wanting to believe it. "What's got you so goddamn uptight!"

Sasuke just stared at him coolly. "I want to measure how far I've gone, how stronger I've become. And if I have to, I'll make you take me seriously."

Naruto shook his head firmly. "I'm not going to fight you Sasuke," he refuted fiercely. "Not like  _this_!"

Sasuke sneered. "You think I can't take you with a few injuries!"

Naruto sputtered. "I didn't mean— _no_ , you  _teme_! You're my teammate, my  _friend!_ This—you don't want a spar. I don't know  _what_ this is, but I'm not playing along!"

Sasuke glowered and went at Naruto, his words chilling.

"You don't have a  _choice_."

Naruto froze, hearing the conviction in his so-thought friend's voice, and realized he really didn't. Confused, torn, and a little frantic, he swallowed lightly and decided to suck it up. "Okay," Naruto said slowly, mostly to calm himself. He pinned Sasuke with a serious stare. "Put on your hitai-ate then."

Sakura, who had been standing at the sidelines, watching helplessly in despair as her two teammates fought, cut in. "Naruto, no! Please, stop this!" she implored; she had already wrote off pleading with Sasuke as a lost cause.

Naruto didn't dare take his eyes off of Sasuke. "Sorry, Sakura. I don't think he'll let me," he said, voice quietly, and made a prompting gesture over at the other boy. "Your hitai-ate, teme?"

Sasuke snorted, chin tilted up as he looked down his nose at Naruto, deigning him with a haughty look. "What? No, forget it. I don't need it—you're not even going to be able to put a scratch on me," he drawled with his trademark smirk spread across his face.

Naruto shook his head, eyes flashing determinedly. "It isn't that," he said, ignoring the jab for once. "Put it on—it means we're fighting as Konoha nin, as  _equals_ ," he declared, tapping the metal plate of his own with his thumb. "If you don't, then you can forget about it. I'll leave, and you can find someone else to fight you."

A dark scowl marred Sasuke's face, eyes raging at the preposterous notion that the dobe could claim that they were anywhere  _near_ equals. "You're delusional if you think we're actually  _equal_ ," he spat. "Where do you get off, with that big head of yours, claiming shit like that?"

Naruto bristled and he shifted in agitation. "What, can't handle the truth, Sasuke-chan?" he jeered. "What's up with you, anyway? Losing your cool like that—it's not like you!"

Sasuke snarled at the blond, jaw clenching harshly. "Look at you—so full of yourself, thinking you're on par with me… It's pissing me off!" Sasuke's Sharingan began spinning rapidly. "I'll show you just how weak you are compared to me!" he roared, and jumped at Naruto.

Naruto's eyes widened at the sudden attack, but he became serious soon enough and shook his head to himself. "You've gone fucking nuts!" he bellowed, arms flailing wildly. "But if you want to fight seriously, you got it! I'll just have to beat the sense into you!" he stated loudly, suddenly breaking into a sprint right in the Uchiha's direction.

Sasuke smirked, whispering with wicked elation. "That's more like it."

The two boys met in the middle of the roof, punches already in swing, and each caught the other with their free hand. They grappled for a moment, trying to push the other back but to no avail—until Sasuke suddenly pulled back, one hand tight on Naruto's fist, cocked his knee back, and jabbed a foot at the blond's face

Naruto let out a sharp breath and swerved, releasing Sasuke. Sasuke's foot slammed into Naruto's shoulder instead, making him grunt and sending him skidding back.

Naruto wasted no time and brought his hands together. "Tajuu Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"

Sasuke tensed as he was surrounded by over fifty clones of the orange-clad genin and a second later, an all-out taijutsu battle ensued.

For the most part, Sasuke was handling himself quite well. His Sharingan easily caught Naruto's rough but quick movements, and he able to dispel any clone that came his way. The problem was that when one clone was expelled another took its place, which was becoming taxing on his stamina.

What he didn't know was that Naruto and his clones were merely waiting for an opening, and had just found one.

Four Narutos came at him, and began kicking him up into the air, punctuating each kick with a yell. "U-zu-ma-ki!" they shouted together as they launched him into the air, where the real Naruto was waiting with his leg already in position for a drop-kick. "Naruto-Rendan!"

It was only because the move was a knock-off of his own that Sasuke knew what was coming—he had crossed his arms, blocking the kick, and Naruto was not-so-pleasantly surprised to find his opponent's fingers forming the tiger seal.

"Katon! Goukakyu no Jutsu!"

A stream of flames burst out of Sasuke's lips, expelling into a grand inferno that enveloped the crowd of clones beneath him.

The inferno roared as it burned, and screams and yelps of pain pierced the air as the fire burned the clones.

Sasuke, who was slowly descending as the blaze slowly dissipated, dropped the satisfied smirk on his face as the smoke began to not only clear, but also seemed to… swirl.

Through the smoke, Sasuke was able to discern that two figures remained from the aftermath of the fire jutsu, and there was a ball of wildly churning energy in their hands.  _'What… what is that jutsu? Wha… what the…'_

"Dammit!" Sasuke swore, and held out an arm, his right hand grasping his left wrist as strands of dancing lightning cackled to life in the palm of his left hand.

"Teme!" Naruto screamed, scowling darkly as he held the swirling ball of blue chakra, waiting. "Think about this! What would Kagome say if she saw you—if she saw us fighting like this!" he tried to reason with him one last time.

For a moment, that was enough to make Sasuke pause in hesitation, and his Sharingan eyes flashed in regret before turning back into steel. With cold finality, he replied with a voice barely tinged with remorse. "Kagome isn't here right now. If nothing else, she's probably  _dead_."

Naruto flinched, as if he had just been slapped. "You fucking bastard!" he roared, face stricken just at the mere thought. "You take that back!  _You better take that back!"_

And with that, the two shinobi charged at each other, specialized jutsu in hand.

As the fight raged on, Sakura had remained to the side, having already resigned herself to staying out of it—knowing that, compared to the two, she wouldn't be able to stop them alone.

But now, it was all too much. The attacks—she could feel the chakra, the power behind the jutsu… The fine hairs at the back of her neck had risen, goose-bumps prickled along her arms.

"Stop," Sakura breathed out as she watched the two ready their final attacks. "You two stop," she kept on muttering, breaths quickening.

A long, piercing scream rang out as Sakura suddenly broke out into a sprint.

"Stop!"

Sakura planted herself between the two and their attacks so neither would—if they wouldn't stop, then she would  _make them_. Her hands were thrown out, and her eyes were clenched shut tightly as she waited for the inevitable.

Sakura's sudden appearance had the boys' eyes widening: Naruto's in fear and Sasuke's in shock.

But it was too late; they were already so close, attacks on the verge—there was no time to stop.

The two sensei, who had hidden themselves ever since the beginning of the fight, were about to make their move to intervene when they both suddenly halted in shock.

A pink tinted barrier had already encased Sakura, shielding her.

Right before either boy took another step, right before their attacks hit Sakura, a hand snatched up both of their wrists, yanked, and vaulted them past the other.

Both were sent crashing into one of the huge water tanks surrounding them, and

There was a loud crashing sound as the attacks were sent through the metal, grinding, twisting, bending, and breaking. The sound of rushing water soon followed as the tanks were draining through their newly made leaks.

It was then that the sound of a new and yet vaguely familiar voice rung out.

_—"Think about this! What would Kagome say if she saw you—if she saw us fighting like this!_

_"Kagome isn't here right now. If nothing else, she's probably dead."—_

"Or… is she?"

Everyone froze and Sakura's eyes flew open to see herself alive, inside a sort of barrier, and standing beside an unknown, cloaked figure while the second one suddenly crumbled into broken clumps of dirt. "Who…" the pink-haired girl breathed out in disbelief.

"Maa, maa," clucked a chiding voice. "If I didn't know better, I'd think that you two are trying to kill each other…" she trailed off, and gave an almost mocking 'tsk'. "That's just not on, y'know?"

Just the slightest, Kakashi's eye widened, and glinted with amusement.

Immediately, the two boys froze, color draining from their faces.

The stranger pushed back the hood of her cloak. A wide grin was flashed at them. "Yo," she drawled out, greeting them in a fashion suspiciously similar to that of a certain jounin-sensei.

"Kagome…" Sasuke breathed out in surprise as he gingerly pulled his fist from the water tank, body going lax with shock as she winked at him.

Naruto whirled around and took a few stumbling steps towards the girl in astonishment. Excitement and hope lit up his wide, azure eyes, and a wide grin spread out across his tanned and whiskered face. "Kagome!"

Kagome was grinning right back at him.

 

_Words- 3,040_


	12. Reunited

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter's title? I was trying to come up with a decent word or two to describe what happens when I came up with 'Reunited'. Then, my mind immediately followed up with "And it feeels, so goood"… -_- Lol. My mind weirds me out sometimes…
> 
> *awkward cough*
> 
> Anyways… Read. Enjoy. Review! XD

The silence was thick in the air atop the hospital rooftop, save only for the  _dripdripdrip_  of the water seeping from the ruined metal tanks and the faint rattling of the surrounding chain-link fencing as it shook from the wind.

As Naruto and Sasuke were content to stare at Kagome in complete shock, she turned to crouch next to Sakura, who had collapsed to the ground by then from sheer fright and the shock she was still alive.

The barrier, which Sakura was tracing idly in dumbfounded shock, shimmered and faded as it was taken down, and apple green locked with deep sea blue. "Hey, you alright?" Kagome asked cautiously, eying her speculatively.

"Kagome…" Sakura breathed out dazedly; eventually, the question registered and the pink-haired kunoichi slowly nodded. "You saved me…" she whispered so lightly, as if to herself.

Kagome just shrugged and held out a hand with friendly concern. "You think you can stand? Or should we take you into the hospital?"

Blinking rapidly, the shock receding little by little, Sakura shook her head, murmuring, "I'm fine. I… just give me a moment to gather my bearings?"

Kagome's eyebrows furrowed in unease but she conceded. Standing, she stepped away to give the girl some room and she cocked an eyebrow at the looks she was getting.

"You're alive…" Naruto finally breathed out with elation as he broke out from his shock, staring at her with wide eyes. With no further prompting, he broke into a run and tackled Kagome in a hug. "You're back!" he laughed out loudly, as if shouting to the heavens. Lifting her, he spun her in the air, bouncing excitedly.

"Naruto!" Kagome let out an incredulous laugh, grinning a silly grin as her arms gripped him tightly as he swung her around. "What? Put me down, boy!" she teased in delight, shoulders still shaking with amusement.

Naruto slowed before gently setting her down. Still embracing her, he leaned back to study her face, and if it was even possible his grin grew. "You're back," he whispered, amazed.

Kagome stared at him, her own grin settling into a soft smile, and she hugged him, burying her face into his chest. "I am, for good this time," she murmured softly.

Naruto huffed, and unknown to the girl in his arms, the tips of his ears were tinted red. "Good," he mumbled under his breath, making Kagome laugh.

"Maa, what's this? Don't we get a hug too?" another voice broke with a wry drawl.

Kagome grinned as she pulled back, looking around Naruto only to see Kakashi slugging his way over in his signature slouched stance and hands buried casually in his pockets. His lips, curved in a smile, were outlined lightly through his mask and the skin around his eyes crinkled.

"No, she's mine," Naruto muttered with an indignant huff, tightening his grip while he eyed Kakashi evilly.

Snorting, Kagome patted his arm to release her to which Naruto acquiesced rather reluctantly, and not without shooting Kakashi a rankled glare. Kagome shot over and launched herself at the silver-haired jounin, letting out a playful squeal. "'Kashi!"

Lone charcoal eye widening slightly, Kakashi barely got his hands out of his pockets in time to catch the four foot eleven genin as she latched onto him like an octopus. "Oof!" he grunted when she collided.

Kagome snickered, tugging at a stand of silver hair. "What was that? You've gotten a bit old while I was gone, haven't you?" she teased with a smirk plastered across her face.

Kakashi scoffed. "Maybe you just got heavier," he muttered loudly, lips twitching at the offended gasp elicited. Right before her hand could slap his arm, he pulled the girl off him by the back of her cloak with ease, now smirking full out as she squirmed whilst hanging from his grasp. "Maa, maa, Gome-chan. It's not very nice to abuse me so soon after not seeing each other for a whole year," he chided mockingly, wagging a taunting finger in front of her face.

Kagome pouted and crossed her arms as he dangled her in the air. "I hate it when you do this…" she muttered darkly, glaring petulantly at the offending digit.

Chuckling lightly to himself, Kakashi lowered her gently. "Sure you do," he said loftily, his hand releasing only to slide over to her bicep. Stepping closer, he squeezed her arm as he bent down to whisper. "We can catch up later—Sasuke-kun is looking a little left out," he slyly advised her before pulling back, pausing only a moment to press a quick, covert kiss to her temple.

Her eyes flickered to Naruto for a moment who was looking antsy, but Kakashi was already on it. "Maa, Naruto, be a gentleman, will you? Shouldn't you help your teammate up?" Kakashi told him loftily as Kagome made her way to Sasuke. Sasuke said nothing as she approached, and neither did Kagome. For now, she sidled next to him, content to just watch as she waited for him to speak up.

"Ah! Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelped. Thoroughly distracted, he whirled around on the spot. "Are you all right! We didn't hurt you, did we?" he asked rapidly, eyes round with genuine worry.

"Na-ru-to!" Sakura growled, glowering at him with a mixture of anger and exasperation. "Now you've finally remembered me?"

"Gah—Sakura, I never forgot! I was—I was just shocked, that's all!" he stammered nervously, covering his face to hide his embarrassment.

He missed the way Sakura's eyes softened for a moment, a fond glint flickering in and out before she mock-scowled. "Well? Aren't you going to help a lady up?" she said shortly, and Naruto hurried to her side.

As Kagome watched, she marveled at the interaction, surprised at the change between the two. A year ago, Sakura would be more likely to clock Naruto than let him touch her.  _'But apparently a lot has happened in the past year,'_  she mused as she peered over at Sasuke.

His head was turned in her direction, eyes boring into her in a blatant stare of an indecipherable emotion as he ignored the commotion around them. In turn, Kagome took him in: his scuffled appearance, his tense posture, the tightness of his lips… ' _But not all of it was good…'_

"Sasuke," Kagome finally spoke, her tone soft as she nudged him lightly with her elbow. She let out a soft gasp when Sasuke's hand shot out to grasp her wrist, but the touch was as gentle as it was restraining.

Sasuke stepped over and in front of her, turning to her fully with his back to the rest of them. His black eyes peered into hers, the dark depths intense, and his lips parted. "I…" he began, trailing off, eyes dropping to the ground in a glare as he thought back to the words he said out of anger.

"I missed you," she told him suddenly. "I missed you, I missed Naruto, I missed Kakashi," she commented, shaking her head. "I missed the old man Hokage too, and Iruka-sensei." She looked down, missing the pained look that came across Sasuke's face and the way he tensed. "When I heard about the attack at the gates, I was so scared one of you got hurt… and then, when they said you were at the hospital because of  _him,_  I ran straight here."

Sasuke clenched at the mention of That Man, and he considered his words at length before finally speaking quietly, still not looking at her. "How much of that did you see…?"

"Enough," Kagome replied rather nonchalantly, and Sasuke looked up, peering at her expression which she was careful to keep neutral. "I won't lie and say it didn't hurt, but considering the circumstances, well," she shrugged mildly, "it's understandable."

Sasuke looked away, looking faintly ashamed. "I didn't mean it like—"

"You did," Kagome cut in gently, but she grinned a little and nudged at him playfully. "But I get it."

"No, you don't," Sasuke said sharply, shoulders tensed, but it faded away when he turned to see the raised eyebrow Kagome cocked at him.

"Well," Kagome said slowly, crossing her arms. "Well, you can tell me all about it later then, huh?" It wasn't a request. Sasuke's lips twitched slightly as he nodded curtly. "For now though," Kagome said, her voice louder as she adopted a serious look. "Would one of you like to explain to me why you just about killed poor Sakura?" she said slowly.

The three genin of Team Seven all stiffened, and like a stretched rubber band being released, the tension snapped back like it had never left. Sakura looked to the ground while Naruto stared sharply at Sasuke who was stubbornly glaring at the air.

"A-hem," Kakashi let out an awkward cough, and did his standard eye-smile when he'd garnered all of their attention. "I believe that can wait, no?" He didn't wait for an answer, but he didn't miss the obvious expressions of relief Naruto and Sasuke shot him. Kagome didn't either, if her glare was any indication. "I'm sure the Hokage has been informed of your return by now; let's not make her angry by waiting."

For a moment, Kagome looked like she wanted to argue, but in the end she nodded. "I know, you're right, I should—" Kagome stopped short, head tilting as she regarded Kakashi with confusion. "Wait—her? Did the Sandaime retire while I was gone…?"

Team Seven froze. Kakashi's eyes snapped to Kagome, minutely widening in half-concealed dismayed remorse. Naruto's closed in grief, his fists clenching at his sides. Sakura bit her lip, looking away, and Sasuke's gaze drifted to the ground in a downcast stare.

For a moment no one spoke—no one wanted to be the bearer of bad news. A bad feeling gnawed at Kagome and her heartbeat quickened, dread coiling in her veins. When no one spoke up, Kagome ventured out with a comment of her own. "I heard about the attack at the gates… You can't possibly tell me out of everyone,  _he_ —  _!_ " Her throat tightened, rendering her unable to say anymore. Her head shook in denial as their expressions saying what they couldn't, tears collecting at the corners of her eyes. "No—he's the  _Hokage!_ "

Eventually, however, Kakashi exhaled loudly and quickly closed the distance between he and his pseudo-daughter and pulled her into a hug. Without hesitation, Kagome buried her face into Kakashi's jounin vest, silent tears rolling from her cheeks only to be absorbed. "He went out fighting for his village, Kagome. He sacrificed his life to stop Orochimaru, and managed to cause irreparable damage to his arms—he cannot use form seals on his own. He did what he had to do, as a Hokage, as a Konoha nin, and as his student's sensei. Anything less wouldn't be befitting for a man such as he."

* * *

 

After Kagome's tears had dried and she had calmed down, she pulled away from Kakashi, swallowing her emotions and smoothing her expression after a couple of steadying breaths. "I…I should probably go report to the Hokage now…" she muttered, and she peered up at Kakashi questioningly.

"Tsunade-sama was chosen to succeed Sarutobi-sama," Kakashi informed her gently.

Kagome blinked in shock, the surprise distracting her from the grief. " _Her?_ " she blurted out, all but sputtering. "But—she vowed never to step foot in Konoha again!" In a quieter voice, she muttered under her breath, loud enough for only Kakashi to hear. " _Even under threat of death and a ban from all the casinos and liquor stores in Hi no Kuni! Not that I don't love her, but…_ " She trailed off, and Kakashi glanced at her in amusement.

' _If Konoha wasn't already screwed…'_  Kagome thought, unknowingly echoing Naruto's very sentiments about the blonde being chosen.

Kakashi merely eye-smiled in the face of Kagome's disbelief. "Apparently, Naruto-kun is  _very_  persuasive." Kagome gaped at Naruto, who, after shaking off his bemused look, only offered a sheepish smile. "And he can tell you all about it later at, say, Ichiraku's in an hour? We can meet for lunch there and catch up."

* * *

 

Kakashi remained behind as Kagome and his students dispersed, thumbs slung in his pockets, not bothering to turn as Jiraiya stepped out from the shadows of a nearby water tank.

"So, you've taught Naruto that jutsu," Kakashi said mildly, tone lightly accusing as the older man stopped to stand next to him before the railing.

Jiraiya didn't honor that statement with a ridiculing snort. Instead, he looked straight ahead as he spoke. "Isn't Chidori an assassination technique?" he wondered sardonically.

Kakashi stiffened, his head tilting so that his dark eye could narrow at the white-haired man. "Chidori isn't the Rasengan," he said slowly, almost warningly.

"Naruto isn't mentally and emotionally unstable," Jiraiya replied easily. "And I hope you're not saying Naruto doesn't deserve to learn that technique," he added in a quiet aside, a faint, almost threatening edge to his tone.

Kakashi straightened, looking insulted. "Of  _course_  not," he said, his voice an octave lower. "I just would have waited a bit before teaching him that."

Jiraiya regarded the younger man coolly, and idly wondered if the younger man felt cheated out of teaching the one signature jutsu of his sensei's he  _could_ teach to the man's son. "Naruto is like you, Kakashi," Jiraiya begun quietly. "He wears a mask; he just isn't as obvious about it." The Sannin sighed and shook his head, looking off into the village. "And he's more like his father than you give him credit for. It took him less than a week to complete the final stage of the Rasengan," he went on with a hint of pride to his voice. "He was obviously ready to learn it, which is more than I can say for the Uchiha."

The air between the two was tense, but Kakashi couldn't argue with Jiraiya's point; the fact that Sasuke was so ready and willing to use the Chidori—an  _assassination_  technique—against his own teammates was proof enough. Chances were that Naruto never would have used the Rasengan if Sasuke didn't pull out the Chidori.

"I know," Kakashi admitted after but a moment, his shoulders going limp in defeat. "Sasuke's search for power was worrying me. I was concerned that if he didn't learn something that would sate his thirst, he would look elsewhere, and with the seal and his instability, well… The thought that he might go to drastic and unsavory measures to do what he feels needs to be done had crossed my mind." The silver-haired man sighed. "He's distancing himself from me—Naruto as well, it seems. I was actually hoping Naruto would be able to talk some sense into him, like usual, but seeing his progress only makes it worse and Sasuke jealous."

Jiraiya, whose jaw had clenched at the mention of the seal Orochimaru put on the young boy, narrowed his eyes in thought. "The way Naruto talked, I'd have thought they were best friends—in the way Orochimaru and I were. However, it seems that kind of relationship is destructive at the moment." He turned to Kakashi, his stare serious. "Do you think he's a risk for running?"

Kakashi's lone eye shut; he didn't even need to take a moment to think about it. "Yes," he whispered lowly, ashamed at admitting to the possibility that one of his students had failed to learn what he so devoutly revered—to  _never_  abandon his team. "The seal… it's spiking all of Sasuke's negative emotions," he went on, imperceptibly fuming. "I just can't reach him no matter what I try; Naruto only spurs his jealous streak, and though Sasuke has grown to be more accepting and protective of her, I doubt Sakura would be able to sway him."

Kakashi looked in the direction of the Hokage Tower. "Kagome though…" he murmured, pensively. "She and Sasuke were best friends before she left. If he isn't too far gone, maybe she'll be able to help pull him back and ground him.

 

_Words- 2,676_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, really nothing happens here. Kagome reunites with her friends. Kakashi picks on her. Kagome and Sasuke chat in a roundabout way, and Kagome realizes things have changed, and not all for the good. Bad news then gets dumped on her. Then Kakashi and Jiraiya argue and stuff. Lol.
> 
> I enjoyed writing Kagome and Sasuke's interaction though. Kinda complex and unusual, but fun to write. And then Kakashi and Jiraiya… I've always wondered why he questioned Jiraiya's decision to teach Naruto the Rasengan, considering he taught a move like the Chidori to Sasuke. Maybe he did believe Naruto wasn't ready for that move… But I just thought it was an interesting idea if Kakashi was just a bit disappointed he wouldn't be able to pass down his Sensei's technique.
> 
> Your thoughts?


	13. History Lesson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Sayonara Memory," is my new favorite song. It's the most recent Shippuden ending and I love it to death. I had it on replay as I wrapped up this chapter. I can't understand a word of it, but it's such a beautiful song.
> 
> Also! There are sorta kinda some spoilers for the most recent Manga chapters; particularly about the previous Hokage's background, sooo, yeah. It comes up during Jiraiya's convo with Kakashi, just so you know…

Not wanting to let Kagome out of his sight so soon, Naruto followed her on the way to the Hokage Tower like a puppy would its mother. Sasuke came along as well, preferring freedom and the outside air to his confining room where no doubt a nurse was waiting to lecture him. Sakura, however, felt like the fourth wheel and excused herself to let them catch up, wanting some time to collect herself.

"You're coming to Ichiraku's though, right?" Naruto had asked with a wide smile.

Sakura's eyes flickered to Kagome involuntarily, and Kagome had the niggling idea that such a thing wouldn't be the most comfortable idea—it was hard  _not_  to pick up the awkward, discomforting tension between them.

It was even harder to not feel it as well. While it seemed that Sakura was not the same as before, and Kagome had realized that with her own eyes, it was hard to do away with the habitual dislike that cropped up at the first thought of her fellow genin. It was like a reflex; the last time Kagome had even seen Sakura was the day of team assignments when they had their little standoff over Naruto and Sasuke.

It was hard to do away with the image of the violent happy fan-girl who obsessed more over her hair than training to the girl in front of her—possessing the same temper, yet restrained, and somewhat more mellow but also serious—but it didn't mean Kagome couldn't at least try. So she mustered up a reassuring smile, an uncomfortable, awkward little thing, but a smile nonetheless. "Yeah, and you can tell me what it's like to be on a team with this idiot and stick in the mud."

"Oi!" Naruto flailed while Sasuke glared at her coldly.

Rolling her eyes, Kagome corrected herself, sarcasm practically dripping from her words. "I'm sorry, I meant this lovable idiot and charming stick in the mud."

Sakura bit her lip, amused, and giggled, but knew an olive branch when she saw one and so agreed.

"So," Kagome said a moment after Sakura had left, rocking on her heels as she peered at the two boys. "...Sakura looks different."

Sasuke snorted with barely concealed incredulity and continued walking. "Discreet.  _Very_  discreet."

Kagome and Naruto laughed as they followed after him. "I thought you're gonna get all the gossip from Sakura?" Naruto teased, a blond eyebrow lifting at her.

The girl rolled her eyes and leveled them with a flat stare. "Well, I  _would_ , but I figured asking her for gossip about herself is pretty rude." Kagome let out a small huff, and playfully shoved at Naruto—lithely, he weaved out of the way and flicked her on the nose, snickering when said nose scrunched and she pouted at him in response.

Sticking her tongue out at Naruto, she looked over at Sasuke, who was watching with that intense, dark stare of his. Kagome shoved down the shiver that threatened to crawl up her spine. "Just catch me up—last I saw, she was heeds over heels for you and you couldn't stand her, never mind look at her," she said with a pointed look at the Uchiha. She turned her sights on Naruto, who by that point was laughing loudly—which stopped short the moment he noticed Kagome's narrowed-eyed stare. "And  _you_  were tripping over your feet in your attempts to woo her while  _she_  couldn't stand  _you_  and showed you, quite violently might I point out, just how much."

Naruto cheeks flushed red at the reminder and his eyes strayed from her.

After Sasuke shot Naruto a smug look, who was rubbing the back of his head when a phantom pain of Sakura's punches erupted, the pair told Kagome of the shift in dynamics in their little team. She learned of what had started as shaky ties with the strength of a frayed string between the three had grown into a reluctant, but nonetheless stronger bond of fierce loyalty, ribbing camaraderie, and protectiveness, at least by the time the Chuunin Exams rolled around. The Chuunin Exams themselves were a reality check for the female member of their team. Kagome, however, noticed the distinct avoidance the pair doted on the exams in respect to them, as well as the time after the exams.

They arrived at the tower before she had a chance to call them out on it however, and soon enough, Kagome found herself left alone and standing before the familiar double doors that lead into the Hokage's office.  _"Meet us at Ichira_ _ku's in a_ _n_ _hour!"_  Naruto had reminded her eagerly, before dragging a scowling Sasuke away.

She hovered before the doors, reminiscing in those memorable times of being dragged through them alongside Naruto as some standard chuunin or jounin brought them in after a prank gone wrong—or horribly right, depending on the perspective—to be punished, something that had always had Kagome wondering. She'd figure that the Hokage had better things to do than dealing out punishments to a couple of unruly kids.

" _Whoever's there, stop pussyfooting. If you're going to come in, do it already!"_

Kagome snorted, cracking a grin at the sardonic, grumpy shout that floated through the cracks. Grasping the handles, Kagome pushed the doors open and waltz in with a grin on her face. "Ba-chan, I'm ba-ack!"

* * *

 

So, Shiro's brat, eh?" Jiraiya mused to Kakashi as they lazily made their way towards the Hokage Tower via roof. "Makes sense with what happened to her clan. The Uchiha kid probably thought she was the only one who had a chance of understanding what he went through that night."

Kakashi gave a solemn nod. "It's been a while since you've seen her, hasn't it?" he asked after they leapt over to another roof.

Jiraiya nodded his head. "Not since Shiro…" His voice trailed off, his lips creasing into a frown as Kakashi's expression became solemn. "Well, she definitely has his looks." Jiraiya let out a wry snort. "You know, Tsunade used to spoil that kid rotten—she and his mother, Hana, were best friends when they grew up in the Senju compound."

Kakashi shook his head in amusement, his lone charcoal eye straying to the Hokage Monument. "You know, I'd always wondered why the Sandaime paid special attention to Kagome. Naruto I understood, but Kagome… At first I thought it was because of her abilities, but that didn't make sense because if that was the case, then what about Sasuke?" Kakashi snorted. "Imagine my surprise when he told me—"

"That the girl's grandmother was the love child of the Second Hokage?" Jiraiya finished for Kakashi in a wry drawl, smirking as younger male let out a loud laugh. He only discovered that nugget of information after a drunken slip up of his own sensei.

Compared to his brother, Tobirama was known to be rather introverted, serious, strong-spirited, and passionate: in simpler terms, he was like Orochimaru, a genius, but with deep sense of loyalty to Konoha, a sense of honor and moral code, as well as the awareness where the line was drawn and the sense not to cross it. However, that was only  _after_  Hashirama died and Tobirama became Hokage.

Unlike Orochimaru, Tobirama once had a weakness to one of the three Shinobi vices. While his brother had a propensity to gamble, Tobirama was reknown for his passion—and said passion was not restricted to his skills, or rather, his shinobi skills in any case.

Sometimes, Jiraiya entertained the thought that perversion was passed down from sensei to student, and as it was passed down the lines, it only got worse and worse. That it spared Minato had it returning and impacting double-fold on Kakashi. He was still waiting for the day that it would hit one of Kakashi's minions one day like a Tailed Beast Ball to the face.

In any case, fact was that Tobirama used to be the biggest closet pervert known to man, though he was of course as careful as he was considerate, and this fact was pretty much one of the most worst kept secrets of all time in the older generations of Konoha. Things, however, only got serious when Madara betrayed them, the First Shinobi War came rolling around, and Hashirama died. Konoha quickly forgot about their Nidaime's somewhat embarrassing indulgence in flesh as he stepped up to the mantel of Hokage and later sacrificed himself.

Honestly, it was  _completely_ out of respect rather than embarrassment that they left that little detail out of the history books, and coincidentally forgot it when passing down stories when children asked, "What was the Nidaime like?"

Really.

In any case, what wasn't common knowledge was that Tobirama had picked up a lady friend once he took the seat. No one but the First's wife knew that he was in a serious and committed relationship by the time he died in the First Shinobi War, and Mito brought her in to live in the compound. It was only a matter of time before Sensei himself connected the dots upon seeing a white-haired little girl running around the compound with Tsunade.

After a moment of silence, Jiraiya couldn't help break it with a snicker to himself. "I have to say though, that girl makes a damn fine dramatic entrance."

Kakashi snickered under his breath and after a moment of shaking his head, he grinned as he prepared for another jump. "Of course she does—I've taught her well."

* * *

 

Kagome ducked, swooping down with ease just as an empty sake bottle sailed through the air, soared over her head, and flew through the doorway. After a beat, there was a loud crash and a faint yelp of pain. Snorting, Kagome quickly closed the doors so that any other flying object would hit them instead of some poor unsuspecting passerby.

"Right," Tsunade muttered, shuffling some scrolls and getting down to business. Pulling back, she opened a drawer, drawing out another, smaller scroll and rolling it out before her. "I've been going through Sensei's notes… Now, he didn't write much about why you were sent off…"

"Well," Kagome started, rocking on her heels. "It wasn't so much as a mission than it was a training trip to be honest."

Tsunade peered at her 'niece'. There was only one reason why Sarutobi would send Kagome to her mother's shrine, and it wasn't to train any clan-related jutsu. "You're fully trained?"

"As much as I possibly could be," the Higurashi heiress replied softly, hand rising to unconsciously tangle her fingers in the delicate chain around her neck; from it hung a small, pink tinted jewel.

"That's a new necklace," Tsunade commented idly and watched as the hand swiftly dropped, as if burnt. Kagome had stiffened, and though it was barely noticeable, Tsunade's perceptive gaze didn't miss even that.

"Just a little bauble I came across," Kagome muttered before looking out the window, and the Godaime noted an undercurrent of bitterness in her following words. "Practically worth nothing."

It was an obvious lie, but Tsunade didn't have the heart to call her out on it at the moment. "I'm sure," Tsunade murmured quietly, her honeyed gaze softening. Kagome's head turned back, peering at the scroll on the desk.

Sighing, Kagome shrugged off her pack and padded towards the desk, pulling out a scroll of her own as she did so. "This is the scroll the Third gave me," she said as she handed it over. "The details my father wrote are in there. I was told that I was supposed to go to the shrine when it unsealed."

"Higurashi's aren't fortune tellers," Tsunade said automatically as she scanned the scroll, yet her eyebrows furrowed. "And yet, the instructions are oddly specific," she went on, adding under her breath, " _Honestly_ , _why in the hell would you need to henge three years older?"_

"I  _know_ ," Kagome said with great emphasis, fists clenching at her sides. "But it doesn't explain how he knew! It doesn't explain..." Kagome trailed off, face twisted with pain. "He had to know what was going to happen, but...I don't know  _how_ he knew," she said in a fragile whisper, hands wringing in her lap. "It doesn't make sense."

Tsunade straightened, lowering the scroll and adopting a concerned, serious expression. "Kagome, what are you talking about?"

Kagome swallowed, and for a moment, she debated not telling…but, Tsunade-bachan was family, and her Hokage as well. Her mother, brother, and grandfather already knew the basics anyway. Anything beyond that, however, would be her secret to tell when she was ready. "Higurashi's aren't fortune-tellers," Kagome recited in a strong, confident voice, and it was testament to what she knew of her clan. "But," the girl added, her confidence faltering. "I assumed Father sent me to the shrine to get my training, yet, only my Grandfather and Mother were there—I didn't have a sensei waiting for me, like I expected."

Tsunade asked the obvious question, if only to prompt Kagome to continue. "Then from whom did you receive your training?"

"Not exactly who," Kagome replied, staring her aunt in the eyes. "But more importantly  _when_."

A slim eyebrow raised in questioning.

"On the shrine," she begun, voice low, "There's this well; it's called the Bone-Eater Well. Two weeks after I arrived, I ran into a centipede demon that climbed out from it." At the word "demon," Tsunade went rigid, eyes widening and narrowing simultaneously, her attention certainly caught. "I proceeded to defend myself and my half-brother, Souta, when its speed caught me off guard and pulled me down the well. There was this... _reaction,_ " Kagome awkwardly phrased it. "My miko-abilities activated instinctively when the demon's claws penetrated my arms, and I blew off a couple of its hands. I think I blacked out for a moment, because next thing I knew, I was on the bottom of the well. I jumped out, intent on tracking the demon, when I realized I wasn't at my shrine, or even in Tokyo anymore."

Tsunade's eyebrows furrowed, her mind whirling, trying to come to her own conclusion as to where Kagome could have ended up. However, Kagome continued before she could utter a word.

Kagome closed her eyes, mentally and emotionally exhausted and showing it as well. "The well turned out to be a portal." Opening her eyes, she locked gazes with her aunt, confusion darkening her blue eyes as she confessed, "Bachan, somehow, I traveled five hundred years into the past, and I think Daddy knew it was going to happen."

* * *

 

Kagome spent the next few minutes summarizing her past adventures in the last year. She didn't bother going into the companions she made, of the relationships she created, and those that ended up broken. She didn't bother going into detail of the trials she went through. She didn't bother with the emotional and psychological torture she had endured to complete her 'mission'.

She only mentioned the most important of details, which happened to be the most basic as well: that the bauble hanging from her neck was only a husk of what was once a powerful jewel capable of granting the greatest of wishes at the worst of consequences; that it was ripped from her own body and then shattered by her own hand; that she had spent the last year hunting the pieces while an evil, sadistic demon with a penchant of mind games and bent on world domination did the same, simultaneously trying to kill them whenever the chance presented itself.

 _"And this demon, Naraku you called him, what came from him?"_ Tsunade had asked, sure of the answer but seeking confirmation all the same.

 _"He's dead,"_ was all she would say _,_ her eyes saying what she didn't:  _I killed him._

After done, Tsunade's serious expression melted off her face and she gave Kagome a small, comforting smile. Within seconds, the blonde had stood up and was in front of her. Kagome was swept off her feet and nestled into every straight and bisexual man's wet dream as Hokage gathered the girl into a snug hug against her chest.

Kagome however, didn't feel as such as her eyes popped and her lips turned blue.

"I'm glad you're safe, squirt," Tsunade murmured fondly, threading slim fingers through the girl's hair. "You've been through a lot, I can tell, and when you ready to spill the full story, I'll be here waiting. In the meantime, I'll just say this once: you did well gaki, and I'm proud of how you turned out. That Hatake brat did well in raising you." Tsunade bent her head to kiss the crown of Kagome's head, and whispered.

" _Shiro would be proud of you too._ "

Kagome, halfway about to pass out, relaxed into Tsunade's strong grip at those words, and tears built up in her eyes. "Thanks, Bachan," she managed to croak out, and with a chuckle, Tsunade released the genin from her death-grip.

The had barely sat down in their respective seats when they sensed company and felt a breeze. To the left, Kakashi and Jiraiya were crouched on the window ledges, watching them; Kakashi had his book open and up to his face, while Jiraiya had a dreamy expression plastered across his face, no doubt arriving just in time to see Tsunade's hug and imagine himself in Kagome's place.

"Still here?" Kakashi wondered idly, flipping a page. "You guys left over twenty minutes ago."

Leaning back into her seat, Kagome shrugged, a smirk playing at her lips. "We took the scenic route," she replied loftily, stealing one of his excuses.

Kakashi snorted, rolling his eye as his own lips twitched. "Imp."

"What is this, a party?" Tsunade muttered under her breath. "Yeah, sure, come on in,  _right through the freaking window_. No need for proper decorum or whatever," she went on with no real conviction, her lips pursed only to hold back a threatening smile.

Snickering, Kagome turned and took a moment to study Jiraiya. Her eyes suddenly widened with recognition. "Hey!" Kagome exclaimed, jumping to her feet and leveling a finger at the older man with the long, spiky hair and red tattoos. "I know you!"

Jiraiya made a noise of surprise, but smirked soon after. "I'm not surprised—not many forget the Great Toad Sage, Jiraiya of Mount Myōboku!"

"What?" Kagome blurted out, confused with her eyebrows furrowed. "No! You're the guy from the photo Bachan sent me—her teammate!" Kagome had slipped her hand into her bag and pulled out the four-panel frame, and showed it to the man as proof. "You're the pervy guy she warned me to keep five feet away from if I ever met you!"

Kakashi coughed and let out a snigger. Jiraiya fell to the ground, stricken with injured pride. "Tsunade!" he wailed, jumping up and pouting. "I can't believe you said that! About me! Your  _teammate!"_

"It's true, isn't it?" Snorting, Tsunade mostly ignored her teammates' overly dramatic antics and pushed away from her desk to rummage through the drawers of her desk, mumbling under her breath. " _I need to find some sake_ …"

Her bag still open, Kagome, who was watching Jiraiya as one would a circus show—head tilted to the side in a show of silent fascination—dipped her hand into it once more. After a moment, she deftly pulled out a carefully wrapped package.

"I was going to mail it, but since you're here…" With a grin, Kagome handed it over to the Hokage with great flourish and even greater care. "Mother sends her best wishes."

Tsunade grinned widely and her head was thrown back as she laughed as she first peeled off a section of the wrapping. "Ah, I love you gaki! The wait is a bitch to get this imported!"

The others in the room all sweatdropped as Tsunade pulled off the wrapping completely to reveal a rather large bottle of sake.

 

_Words-3,315_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Just for the record, "Bachan" essentially means "Auntie." So, yeah. Technically, they're like cousins twice removed or something, but for simplicity and Tsunade's vanity's sake, they go with a more Aunt/Niece sort of relationship lol.

**Author's Note:**

> Title, as well as writing itself, inspired by "Demons" by Imagine Dragons.


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